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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29343108">How To Get Your Dad A Date</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/double_ii/pseuds/double_ii'>double_ii</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>How To Get Your Dad A Date [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Good Parent Din Djarin, Grogu | Baby Yoda Being a Little Shit, I saw the "grogu is a lil shit" tag and I knew I had to add to it, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Minor Leia Organa/Han Solo, Minor Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Mutual Pining, POV Grogu | Baby Yoda, Post-Season/Series 02, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Scheming, Shenanigans, Skywalkers have a type, The Dinluke Server Made Me Do It, The Force Ships It (Star Wars), Why Did I Write This?, ben deserves a best friend, dumbass luke skywalker, grogu and ben are best friends, grogu deserves a best friend, honestly its more of a grogu fic than a dinluke fic, luke follows in obi's footsteps, obi wan is the Slut of the 212th, parent trap type beat, soft, that type is Himbo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:55:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>22,840</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29343108</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/double_ii/pseuds/double_ii</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Grogu has been settling in well at Master Skywalker's new Jedi Academy. He's been learning a lot, and he's even befriended Master Organa's son. The main issue is getting his dad to settle in as well, specifically to avoid the mess that is Din Djarin's life. Specifically away from bounty hunting, specifically away from Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls, specifically away from the kriffin' darksaber, and to specifically settle into a relationship with Grogu's new teacher.</p><p>Grogu's gonna need a lot of patience, effort, and scheming to pull this off. Luckily, his new friend Ben Solo is more than eager to help him out...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Din Djarin &amp; Grogu | Baby Yoda &amp; Luke Skywalker, Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker, Grogu | Baby Yoda &amp; Ben Solo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>How To Get Your Dad A Date [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2210172</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>189</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Of Meditation and Cookie Escapades</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>MANDO'A </p><p>buir -  parent<br/>ad'ika - son, daughter, little one<br/>adike - plural of ad'ika, children<br/>nuh'sheb - funny/dumbass, goofy light-hearted insult (thank you Vanniard. so much. ily.)<br/>cyar'ika - YALL ALREADY KNOWWWW. YALL KNOW. darling, sweetheart, dear, love</p><p>FGTFOOHRNB - fia, get the FUCK out of here right now bitch<br/>IDSSAYBR - i don't say shit about your bakugo/reader <br/>YDSSAT - and YOU don't say shit about this<br/>JKILY - jk I love u &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Well then, I'm sure it's been a long flight, Mr. Mando." Skywalker rested a hand on Buir's shoulder. Grogu couldn't help but notice the instinctive flinch. But that wasn't all Grogu noticed. He felt a feeling...it wasn't quite a new type of feeling. It was familiar to Grogu, but not quite familiar enough for Grogu to be able to label it. It was definitely coming from his dad and...Master Skywalker as well? Grogu turned around in his dad's arms to look over at Ben and send a message. Things were getting interesting.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>the dinluke server made me do it.<br/>i literally would've never written this if it weren't for you guys fr, sending lots and lots of love &lt;3<br/>and a extra big thank you to coffeecatsme for beta-reading and helping me throughout the writing process! ur absolutely amazing and I love bouncing ideas around with you n stuff &lt;3</p><p>shoutout to farmboy and sam as well. same mind. that's all</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Feel the force flow through the trees...the ground...the air...even the tiniest creatures around us..." Master Luke Skywalker said. Grogu sat, legs crossed, in a circle with four other students outside the new Jedi Temple. "Take a deep breath in, and out," Skywalker continued.</p><p>Grogu followed his instructions. He took a deep breath, and reached out to his surroundings. He heard the wind whistling through the trees. He reached a little farther and felt a familiar presence - a slimy, green, jumpy, tasty, lunch-like presence hiding in a bog. He also felt a change in the force close to him. A twig? A leaf? No. A <em> pebble</em>. It was a small pebble floating right above his head-</p><p>
  <em> Plop! </em>
</p><p>And the stone was now on top of his head. Grogu contained a snicker as he reached out in the force once more and found a slightly larger pebble. He felt the force flow through him, towards the pebble, and directed the pebble to the person sitting to his right and—</p><p>"Padawan Grogu? What do you usually focus on when trying to clear your mind?" Master Skywalker asked. <em> Uh oh. </em> "Surely it's not floating rocks above Padawan Ben's head." <em> Dank farrick. </em>Of course he got caught, and not six-year-old Ben Solo, Master Skywalker's nephew. Grogu floated the rock back down as Ben Solo giggled next to him. Grogu rolled his eyes and sent a thought towards Master Skywalker. </p><p><em> He started it! </em>Grogu explained. </p><p><em> I know, </em> Luke thought back. <em> But you didn't have to continue it, did you? </em></p><p><em> Buir told me to never start fights, only finish them, </em>Grogu thought indignantly, and felt a spark of amusement from Master Skywalker. </p><p><em> I see, </em> Skywalker thought. <em> But let's save it for after mediation, little one. And don't worry, I'll talk to Ben about it, okay? </em></p><p><em> Fineeee... </em>Grogu responded, sending waves of annoyance and attitude through the force. </p><p>Grogu went back to taking deep breaths. In, and out. The ground. The force was there. And the trees. And the...what was it? Tiniest of tiny creatures. Such as frogs. Frogs weren't that tiny compared to the bugs and krill that he found on Sorgan with his dad. But they were still tiny. They were also tasty. Frog eggs were pretty tasty too, but Buir yelled at him when he tried to eat them last time. So Grogu decided he'd stick to tiny frogs. </p><p>Master Skywalker's words echoed through Grogu's head. <em> Clear your mind.  </em></p><p>It was easier said than done. The first step Grogu usually took to clear his mind was to calm down, and confront his fears.</p><p>
  <em> I am one with the force, and the force is with me. </em>
</p><p>His fears were always the same.</p><p>That night at the Jedi Temple. Alone, lost, feeling nothing but pain, death and suffering. Trying to reach out in the force to find guidance when there was only the dark side of the force, flowing stronger than ever through everything Grogu found comfort in.</p><p>Waking up alone, in the metal crib, with time stretching on and on and on with no end in sight. A deep, insatiable hunger.</p><p>Sitting in that metal box with the figures in white armor and the man with the black-and-red cape and the warped lightsaber. Needles being jabbed into his side, the feeling of overwhelming tiredness.</p><p>But all of his fears had one thing in common: he was away from Buir. And he didn't know if his dad was safe. He didn't feel right. He didn't feel at peace.</p><p>...</p><p>
  <em> Grogu watched his helmeted dad fight the terrifying man with the dark, warped lightsaber. Finally, a sense of calm, peace, relief, and safety washed over Grogu and his dad when they were together. As they made their way towards the bridge, Grogu saw the two other blue helmeted women, Auntie Cara and the scary lady with the braid. He felt the panic and hopelessness rise as mean dark droids made their way towards their location.  A presence, a powerful calming presence entered the space as Grogu was carried over to the security cams.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu watched as the doors opened and a new figure made their way onto the bridge.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> "Are you a Jedi?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em> "I am." </em>
</p><p>
  <em> What a stupid question. Really, couldn't Buir make at least an effort to appear competent in front of the kriffing Jedi Master?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu watched the tears roll down his dad's face—his FACE, not his helmet—feeling his dad's fear that he would never get to see his foundling again. Grogu reached out a hand, trying to share feelings of peace and comfort to Buir. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> "You know, you're welcome to visit. I don't believe in following the old ways of the Jedi. I can transmit the coordinates of the Jedi Temple to you, if you'd like." </em>
</p><p>
  <em> "I...I would like that. Thank you."  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu would never forget the smile on his dad's face, as he looked towards the pretty blond Jedi and then back at Grogu. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> "We'll see each other again, ad'ika. I promise." </em>
</p><p>I know we will<em> , Grogu had thought. But Buir couldn't hear him like the nice lady, Ahsoka, could. Instead, his dad just heard "Buha. Ee yah." Oh well. It was good enough.  </em></p><p>
  <em> Grogu heard the familiar trilling of a blue R2 unit next to the Jedi and smiled. He was ready to go. He just hoped Buir would be okay, now that Grogu couldn't watch over him. He was always getting into trouble, the air-brained nerf-herder. At least he knew Auntie Cara and Grandpa Greef could keep an eye on him. Somewhat. To be fair, Auntie Cara and Grandpa Greef needed some looking-after too. Maybe Grogu should stay... </em>
</p><p>
  <em> No. He had to reject those fears. Grogu knew he was supposed to go with the Jedi. He just had a feeling. Like the feeling that his now-dad would come for him, when he was alone in the dark metal crib for all those years.  </em>
</p><p>...</p><p><em> I'm safe, </em>Grogu reminded himself. He was with Master Skywalker, whose presence resembled that of a bright, blinding light to Grogu. He was with his friends and fellow students, Ben, Kila, Terro, and Jacen. There were frogs nearby. His dad was out there, somewhere in the galaxy, and he was alive with people to look after him. Grogu took more deep breaths, feeling the comforting presence of those around him and the cool morning breeze blowing by. Grogu's mind was clear. He was ready to reach out to see whatever the force willed him to see.</p><p>Feelings. It was coming from a familiar, close presence. It was...of course. Often times, Grogu's meditations led straight to his dad. It made him happy to see how he was doing, but sad to learn that yet <em> again </em>, his dad was stressed. Grogu took another breath and reached further.</p><p>He was hit with a wave of...conflict. Stress. Concern. Chaos. Sadness. Happiness. Stress. Longing. Fear. Wonder. More fear. More stress. Curiosity. Stress. Concern. Nervousness. Stress. It was a lot. Unfortunately, those feelings became routine for his dad. </p><p>A dark, infamous, familiar blade. A broken planet. Lots of stress. Why was it that whenever Grogu reached out to Buir, he felt so much stress? Grogu tried, every time, to send positive feelings, but his dad was so far and didn't feel the force the same way Grogu did. Grogu was so worried, and worry broke his concentration, so Grogu willed himself to focus again and just listen to the force. </p><p>
  <em> I am one with the force, and the force is with me. </em>
</p><p>It was more of the warped blade. Flashes of the blue helmet the red-headed angry lady wore. Again, the feeling of a broken planet. But...there were new feelings. Feelings that Grogu hadn't felt from his dad in far too long. </p><p>Hope. Relief. A well-needed break. Eagerness. Grogu saw flashes of a star chart, and a small starfighter, flashes of hyperspace, and...green...himself. His dad was thinking about him!</p><p>It clicked into place. After nearly a month away, Buir was coming to visit!</p><p>...</p><p>Grogu was interrupted from his nap with a sharp knock at the door. He raised his hand, allowing the door to swing open, revealing the familiar face of Ben Solo. </p><p>"Hey, Grogu!" Ben whisper-shouted. Meditation was over, which meant free time for the students on Yavin 4. Grogu's free time usually consisted of a short nap, and then antics with his best friend would ensue. "Kila just found a stash of melioorun cookies in the kitchen. Want in?" <em> You bet! </em>Grogu said. Ben bent down as Grogu jumped on his shoulders and clutched onto his hair. They then sprinted down the halls of the Jedi Temple and towards the kitchen. </p><p> </p><p>Kila, an 8-year-old Torgruta, was already there, of course. She was busy pulling out cookie after cookie and setting them down on a bunch of napkins. "Hey, Ben! Hey, Grogu!" she said with a cheery tone. "Terro said Master Skywalker's in his study taking a few holo-calls. We've got to look out for Jacen, though." <em> Got it, </em>Grogu said, projecting his thoughts to both Ben and Kila. Grogu jumped off of Ben's shoulders and the three other younglings sat down, devouring their sweet find. It wasn't long before 7-year-old Terro, younger sibling to Kila, joined them as well.</p><p>Grogu was chomping down on his fourth melioorun cookie when he felt someone approaching. He shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth and turned to look at his friends. Their reaction told him that they felt the presence too.</p><p>"Let's clean up!" Ben snapped. The younglings frantically tried to return the cookies to the jar and dust away the crumbs, but it was too late. The oldest of the students, fourteen year old Jacen Syndulla, walked in and looked down at the mess of cookies, crumbs, and kids on the floor. Jacen, being the oldest, was always the one to look after the younglings if Master Skywalker was busy. That included telling Master Skywalker when Grogu and his friends planned a cookie escapade. </p><p><em> We can explain, </em> Grogu said, but the human-twilek held up a hand and sighed in exasperation.</p><p>"You know what? If you give me six cookies I won't tell Master Skywalker," Jacen offered. A sense of relief broke out amongst the group as Terro jumped up and passed Jacen a bundle of cookies. </p><p>"It's a deal!" Terro said with a wide grin. </p><p>"You puffer pigs are lucky I like meilooruns so much. My uncle used to get them all the time" Jacen chuckled as he took the sweets from Terro. "Oh, and I may or may not have heard from Artoo that Master Skywalker is expecting a visitor soon," he said with a wink. "So you all still might want to get cleaned up." A series of <em> oooooohs </em>circled around the group as they continued to snack and clean up their mess.</p><p>Grogu smiled as he helped the others clean. He knew exactly who the visitor was.</p><p>...</p><p>"No idea." Jacen said.</p><p><em> Frog! </em>Grogu said.</p><p>"Nexu!" Ben quipped. "No...Fyrnock?</p><p>"Zombie bantha!" Terro yelped. </p><p>Kila paused in the middle of her impersonation and gave Terro a look. "Terro, zombie banthas don't exist!"</p><p>"Do so!"</p><p>"Do not!"</p><p>"Do so!"</p><p>"Do not!" </p><p>"Do—oh, hi Master Skywalker!" Grogu felt that familiar light of Master Skywalker's presence wash over him as he approached. He sat down next to Grogu and Ben with a warm smile.</p><p>"I've been to way too many places and I have yet to see a zombie bantha." Skywalker said, looking at Terro. Then he turned to Kila. "But I have to ask, are you a rancor, Kila?"</p><p>Kila nodded aggressively. "How did you know?"</p><p>Master Skywalker had a smirk on his face. "Well, you see, I'm more familiar with those clawed nightmares than I'd like to be. It's one of the perks of getting stuck in a cage with a hungry rancor." </p><p>Grogu shuffled off of Ben's lap and towards Master Skywalker. The other students crowded around him as well. No one could resist a good story, especially from Luke Skywalker.</p><p>"Karabast, how did you get stuck in a rancor cage?!" Jacen demanded. </p><p>"First off, language, Syndulla. You and your mom have even dirtier mouths than Captain Solo. Second, while I would love to tell you, I've got some more pressing news to share..."</p><p><em> My dad's coming! My dad's coming to visit! </em>Grogu screeched, making sure everyone around him could feel his excitement. The other students winced at the very loud mental message Grogu sent out, but then joy instantly overtook their faces.</p><p>Skywalker had another one of those blisteringly warm smiles on his face. "That's right, Grogu, he's coming to visit! Your intuition is improving, little one."</p><p><em> Thank you, Master, </em> Grogu said. <em> I saw him traveling here while I was meditating today. Hear that? Meditating. Focusing. Not rock floating, unlike— </em></p><p>Ben gave him a playful shove, which Grogu returned immediately, using the force to compensate for his lack of physical strength. That shove pushed Ben against Terro, who shoved Ben back while flinging an arm towards an agitated Kila. Jacen scooted backward, not wanting to be involved, and rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Hey, hey, settle down!" Master Skywalker interjected, knowing how easily squabbles broke out between the five young Jedi. Skywalker raised a hand and calm, peaceful, comforting feelings came flooding over Grogu. "You all know how it is when we have a visitor, yes?" The students nodded as the Jedi Master continued. "Grogu's father should be here any minute now, and I expect you all to be on your best behavior." He gave a pointed stare to Ben and Grogu. Grogu responded with a tilt of his head. "Sounds good?"</p><p>The students nodded as the feeling of a new presence rippled through. All at once, the residents of the Yavin 4 Jedi Temple looked up to the sky to see a beaten-up Mandalorian starfighter soar through the sky towards a nearby landing pad. The air was filled with whoops and cheers as the students made their way over to the landing platform much faster than Master Skywalker would’ve liked.</p><p>Grogu watched as the top of the starfighter moved upwards and a familiar silver-toned Mandalorian helmet popped out. </p><p>"Bwahhhh! Eeeeee!" He sprinted as fast as his legs could take him towards the starfighter.</p><p>"Ad'ika!" came a familiar modulated voice.</p><p>Din Djarin, Grogu's dad, practically jumped out of the starfighter and immediately bent down to scoop Grogu up in his arms and press him to his chest. Grogu felt an overwhelming surge of joy from the both of them. He felt whole. He felt safe. </p><p>"I've missed you, you little womp rat."</p><p><em> I've missed you too, Buir! I'm so glad you're here! </em>"Ah-ba! Eeooo!"</p><p>"Yeah? What have you been up to?"</p><p><em> I've been doing well. Master Skywalker is very nice and bright. I have friends, too! </em>"Bwah bah ee-ooo. Mah ah eyer eee. Ah bwah!"</p><p>"Uh huh, I see." </p><p><em> No, you don't, Buir. But at least you're trying. How are you? </em>"Nah. Bwah, amoo?"</p><p>"It's been tough, but I'm just glad I'm here."</p><p><em> AYO WAIT! Can you understand me now? Say "speckled marsh frog" to prove it. </em>"AMAAAH! Bwah, batu eyah."</p><p>"That's great, Grogu!"</p><p><em> Dank farrick. </em>"Pah."</p><p>"Watch your language, little one." Luke chimed in. "It's nice to finally meet you again, sir, in more ideal circumstances," Master Skywalker said to Grogu's dad, holding out a hand. "I'm Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, and babysitter to these wild loth cats." He flashed another award-winning smile.</p><p>There was an inconvenient pause as Grogu got shifted to his dad's side, and Grogu picked up minor feelings of embarrassment and sheepishness. He then watched as his dad awkwardly returned Master Skywalker's handshake. </p><p>"It's uh. Nice you meet you too." he said through the helmet's modulator. "'I'm..." <em> Tell him your name, Buir, </em>Grogu said. Of course, he knew his dad wouldn't get it. But from Grogu's experience, if you kept going at something long enough, eventually things would work out. Like how Buir wouldn't let him eat wild frogs at first. Grogu just kept eating them, and eventually, Buir would stop scolding him for it. So Grogu would keep trying. There was no harm in it, after all. </p><p>
  <em> Master Skywalker is very nice and very cool, just say your name! It's gonna be okay! </em>
</p><p>"Uhh..."</p><p>
  <em> Auntie Cara and Grandpa Greef know your name. It's no big deal.  </em>
</p><p>"Mando. Mando is fine."</p><p>
  <em> Seriously?! "Mando is fine"? Get outta here. But don't actually. Please stay. I've missed you. </em>
</p><p>"Well then, I'm sure it's been a long flight, Mr. Mando." Skywalker rested a hand on Buir's shoulder. Grogu couldn't help but notice the instinctive flinch. But that wasn't all Grogu noticed. He felt a feeling...it wasn't quite a new type of feeling. It was familiar to Grogu, but not quite familiar enough for Grogu to be able to label it. It was definitely coming from his dad and...Master Skywalker as well? Grogu turned around in his dad's arms to look over at Ben and send a message. </p><p>
  <em> Hey, anything funky with Master Skywalker? </em>
</p><p>Ben looked over at his uncle, then the Mandalorian visitor, back at Grogu, and then scrunched up his face and raised his eyebrows. </p><p>
  <em> That's what I thought too. Meditate and talk later about it? </em>
</p><p>Ben nodded with a serious look on his face. Grogu turned back to face his dad.</p><p>"...and just ask my astromech, Artoo, if you need to re-fuel your ship." Master Skywalker was saying. Then he turned to the small gaggle of students to the side of him. "These are Grogu's classmates, as I'm sure you've assumed. This the oldest of the padawans, Jacen Syndulla..." </p><p>Jacen gave a polite nod of his head. </p><p>"And then these two are Terro and Kila Ja'le..." Kila waved as Terro clutched on to Kila's sleeve, also giving a small wave. </p><p>"And but not least, this is my nephew, Ben Solo." </p><p>"Nice to meet you, Mr. Mando!" he said cheerily. </p><p>"Nice to meet you too, kid. Uh, Ben." </p><p>Buir was honestly doing better than Grogu expected.</p><p>
  <em> Can we show my dad around now? </em>
</p><p>"Of course we can," Master Skywalker told Grogu. "Grogu was just saying that he wants to show you around the temple."</p><p>Grogu gave a happy nod and looked up to Buir. </p><p>"Sure. I...uh, that sounds good with me." </p><p>Master Skywalker turned back to the rest of the students. "Jacen, can you take the others over to the stone clearing and run some saber drills? I'll join you in a bit."</p><p>"Got it, Master." Jacen nodded, and gestured to Ben, Kila, and Terro to follow. Grogu gave them a little wave from his dad’s arms. His classmates waved back as they followed Jacen to the clearing to the side of the temple. Now, it was just Grogu, his dad, and Master Skywalker.</p><p>...</p><p>They had gone through the mess hall, the training grounds, and the study. Grogu's dad had stayed relatively silent, much to Grogu's disappointment, and probably Master Skywalker's disappointment too. But luckily, Master Skywalker filled what would have been empty silence with many historical stories of the Jedi and comments on the building and design.</p><p>Grogu was hoping his dad was listening, because Grogu definitely wasn't. He was, instead, trying to dissect the feelings in the room (and hoping he wouldn't throw up the large amount of cookies he had consumed). Grogu had not only noticed the subtle warm, positive, new feelings coming from both Master Skywalker and Buir, but he had also noticed a unique glow, or glint, in Skywalker's eyes. It was all so damn familiar, but just out of Grogu's reach. He tried to send out a message to Ben for help, but Ben was too occupied to be able to focus on a force connection. Grogu grumbled in annoyance. This was not only starting to get irritating, but boring as well. </p><p>"Is everything okay, buddy? Do you need to take a nap?" Buir asked, after hearing Grogu's complaint.</p><p><em> Nah, I'm fine. </em>"Bwah." It was a good thing Master Skywalker was there to translate.</p><p>"Grogu's fine, don't worry. From what I gathered, the little one's just bored."</p><p>"Oh, you're bored, huh? I don't blame you."</p><p>Master Skywalker made an insulted noise, though it was clear from his sunny expression that it was in good nature.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry, I...uh, didn't mean any disrespect. History and architecture stuff isn't really. Uh. My thing." Sweet Iego Angels. Buir couldn't say a full sentence properly to save his life, huh? Technically speaking, Grogu couldn't either, but that was clearly besides the point.</p><p>Master Skywalker let out another one of his infectious laughs. "No worries, Mando! My sister made me plan out a whole speech in case so-called 'higher-up' visitors came on over. You could've told me sooner and I could've skipped to the fun parts, you know."</p><p>"Sorry, I didn't want to seem rude. I'm. Uh." Grogu wanted to smack his dad. Sadly, his arms were not very long. "I'm really glad I'm here. I've missed Grogu and it's uh. Really nice to meet you, Master Skywalker."</p><p>"Please, just call me Luke."</p><p>"Okay then. Thank you. Luke." Never, in Grogu's fifty-two years, had he ever felt so much nervousness and sheepishness seeping off of one being. Really, he was under the impression that his dad was better than this. Grogu honestly started feeling small stabs of regret at leaving Buir alone; he clearly had devolved into even more of a polite mess than before. </p><p>Grogu quickly shot a message to Master Skywalker. <em> My dad is very nice. And very polite. He is actually very good at making friends and diffusing situations. He's very cool. And very brave and strong. I honestly don't know what's up with him right now, Master.  </em></p><p><em> I'm sure he's very brave and strong, Grogu, </em> Luke mentally replied. <em> Your dad's in a new environment, It's natural for people to be hesitant at first when it comes to new things. Do you want to show him your room? </em></p><p>
  <em> I would love to, Master Skywalker! </em>
</p><p>Grogu proceeded to squirm around in his dad's arms, indicating that he wanted to be placed down. Buir obliged immediately as Skywalker turned from Grogu back to his dad. </p><p>"Grogu wanted to lead the way for the next part of the tour. We'll be heading to the student dormitories."</p><p>
  <em> You're gonna LOVE the dorms, Buir.  </em>
</p><p>Grogu waddled down a hallway with Skywalker and Buir in tow. He could use the force to give him a speed boost, but he didn't want to scare his dad. Clearly, he had enough feelings swirling around already, there was no need to add fear to that list.</p><p>Grogu made a couple turns, and then reached a wide hall with multiple personalized decorated doors. There was Kila's door, which had a large painted plom bloom on it. Kila's name was written on the door in blue in shaky cursive. Next to Kila's room was Terro's room, which had a wide array of colors all splotched on at random. A name was on the door at some point, Grogu guessed. Moving on was Jacen's room. It was painted with green streaks and a retro symbol of the Rebellion, Grogu had learned, that was specific to the Phoenix Squadron and the Ghost Crew. In neat printing at the top was the name 'Jacen Jarrus Syndulla'. Further on was Ben's room. The door was painted black with several different lightsabers of varying colors. There was the Jedi green and blue, Sith blood-red, along with white saber blades, yellow ones, purple, and pink. Grogu had yet to see a pink lightsaber blade, but he was looking forward to it. Last but obviously not least came Grogu's door. He recalled not being able to reach high enough, so he had to stand on Ben's shoulders. Ben, however, wasn't able to reach too high either, so Grogu resorted to standing on Jacen's shoulders.</p><p>Grogu's door was the best one, in Grogu's dignified opinion. It had a woman with short hair, along with big muscles and an equally big gun. It also had a man with a fancy leather cape and darker skin than the woman. There was a smaller figure on top of a blurgg. And of course, a woman in a blue dress with long black hair. The nice lady with orange skin and white blades of light. The man with grey hair and green rusted armor. The lady with the droids and the curly brown hair. And of course, Master Skywalker and Grogu's classmates. There was still one large empty space, however. Grogu's door had taken so long to paint and it wasn't even done yet, but it was perfect to Grogu. It made his room feel more like a home. </p><p>Buir kneeled down next to Grogu. "Is this your door, ad'ika?"</p><p>
  <em> Yes, it is! Do you like it? </em>
</p><p>"Grogu was asking if you liked his decorations," Skywalker translated.</p><p>"I-I love it. It looks really cool, Grogu." Grogu noticed a small crack in his dad's voice. It was followed by overwhelming waves of pride and joy that flowed towards Grogu, who in turn was filled up with joy.</p><p>"BWAH!"</p><p>"Yeah! Uh huh!" </p><p>It was clear that Master Skywalker was feeling the joy radiating off of Grogu and his dad after taking one look at the two of them.</p><p>“Did you decorate this all by yourself?”</p><p>
  <em> Mostly. It was all my idea. I had plenty of help from Ben, Kila, and Jacen though. Terro wasn’t very helpful. But that’s okay. </em>
</p><p>“Grogu says he did most of it by himself, but his friends helped him out too.”</p><p>
  <em> I’m not done yet, though. </em>
</p><p>“But he’s not quite finished.”</p><p>
  <em> I still have to paint you and me. See the empty space next to Master Skywalker? </em>
</p><p>“He left a blank space to paint the two of you.”</p><p>
  <em> I wanted to wait for you to come. Can we paint it together later? </em>
</p><p>“Grogu...that’s so sweet!”</p><p>“What is it?” </p><p>Master Skywalker sat down next to Grogu’s dad. “Your son is very caring, you know. He was saying he wanted to paint the two of you in that blank space.” He gestured to the space in question. “He wouldn’t finish it without you, he wants to know if you’d help him paint later.”</p><p>“That’s…” Grogu placed a small hand on his dad’s shin. He could feel strong emotions rolling off of Buir, but thankfully they were positive feelings. “That’s really nice of you, ad’ika. I’d love to paint with you anytime, Grogu.”</p><p>Grogu let out a happy squeal, and there was no need for Master Skywalker to translate. </p><p>“You’re a great parent, you know that, right?” Skywalker said, as Grogu climbed back into his dad’s arms. </p><p>“Thank you. I’m really thankful you’ve been able to take care of him and teach him. I…I wish I could help him more. He’s a bright kid. I do what I can.”</p><p>
  <em> You’ve murdered at least 48 people to protect me, Buir. That I’ve seen. </em>
</p><p>“He talks about you to his friends a lot. All of my other students know of Grogu’s father, ‘the Mandalorian’, who wears unbreakable silver armor, can fly without using the force, and is undefeatable in battle.” Skywalker gestured animatedly with his hands while he spoke. “You should meet the other students. I’m sure Grogu would love to introduce them to you as well.” </p><p>“I’m open to whatever Grogu wants to do while I’m here.”</p><p>“I’m glad to hear it. I gotta get back to the other students outside, do you wanna spend time alone with Grogu or see how he’s doing in class?”</p><p>“Uh. What do you wanna do, ad’ika?”</p><p>
  <em> I can show you the drawings in my room later. I wanna show you what I’ve been learning! It’s so cool! You’re gonna be blown away, Buir.  </em>
</p><p>“He says he wants to show you what he’s been working on. Is that okay, Mando?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Grogu let out another happy squeal as he leapt from his dad’s arms and bounded down the dorm hall, using the force to boost his speed and height. As unfortunately expected, a blast of panic surged through Buir, but Grogu knew he’d have to get used to it. It was a much more convenient way to get around for Grogu. The medtape would have to get ripped off sometime, after all, might as well do it now. </p><p>…</p><p>“One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight…”</p><p>Grogu approached the large paved stone area, with Master Skywalker and Buir right behind him. He watched as Jacen went through lightsaber drills with Ben, Kila, and Terro copying Jacen’s motions and positions. All of the students used large sticks in place of the dangerous swords of light, though Jacen did have his blue saber clipped to his belt.  </p><p>Once the students finished their round of drills, Skywalker stood up and gave a wave, as the students watched expectantly for their next set of instructions.</p><p>“Great job, guys! I was just showing Mando around the Temple,” Master Skywalker said, gesturing to the man in question. “He’s just gonna be watching to see what’s been going on. I trust you won’t be a distraction to the students…” He turned back to Buir with a playful grin as he talked, and then back to the small bundle of students. “We’re gonna try a deflecting exercise. How does that sound?”</p><p>
  <em> Mildly painful. And mildly stressful. But I’ll probably get to throw rocks at Ben, so I’m in.  </em>
</p><p>“Alright, let’s get started! Who wants to go first?”</p><p>…</p><p>The hungry students whirled to the mess hall, more than ready for lunch after their morning training. Grogu had indeed had a good time with their deflection training, which involved one student blindfolded while the others attempted to fling small rocks at them. The student in the center would have to deflect the rocks with their ‘lightsaber’ to the best of their abilities. Apparently it was cheating to use the force to float in the air, but Grogu didn’t care too much. Buir always said things would never be fair in battle anyway. So Grogu might as well hold himself up to that standard as well. </p><p>Grogu found himself in his usual spot for meals, with Ben at his right and Jacen next to Ben. However, instead of an empty space to his left, his dad sat stoic as always, a comforting presence to Grogu. Though it only took a small tug of the force for Grogu to feel his dad’s general discomfort. He was out of his element. But Grogu knew he’d adjust. He always did. Buir was always great at adapting to new situations and to new people. </p><p>The students ate in relative silence, which was unusual. Grogu knew why, though. They were nervous of his dad. He hadn’t really said anything, and he wasn’t gonna eat anything. Master Skywalker offered food, of course, but Buir declined. He was just sitting there. And it made the space...Grogu didn’t know, slightly awkward? He could feel his friends boiling with questions and enthusiasm, but not quite enough enthusiasm to be the first one to ask. Oh well. Grogu knew it wouldn’t be long before curiosity would get the loth cat.</p><p>Master Skywalker was sitting opposite of Buir, next to Terro who was in turn next to Kila. The chef droids always provided a wide array of food for the residents of Yavin 4’s Jedi Temple to choose from, and today was no different. Grogu, of course, had a scoop of fried frogs on his plate. It wasn’t quite as good as having them fresh from the bog, but it was better than the <em> protein loaf </em> Ben was chowing down on. Honestly, Grogu couldn’t understand how Ben could stomach the fibery, bready thing. It had no chewy texture whatsoever, and was so unbelievably plain in Grogu’s dignified opinion. </p><p><em> That looks disgusting, </em>Grogu told Ben.</p><p><em> You’re literally eating frogs, Grogu. FRIED frogs. Fried stuff is gross, </em> Ben shot back. <em> My mom says it’s not healthy, you know.  </em></p><p>
  <em> You dunked your protein loaf in gravy. Gravy is used to fry stuff.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> No, that’s oil! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Well, one time my dad used gravy to fry food, so THERE.  </em>
</p><p>Ben dropped his fork with a clatter. “Scuse me, Mr. Mando, but have you ever fried something, prolly food, using gravy?”</p><p>Grogu let out a snicker as the students eagerly turned to Buir to see what the new fabled visitor would respond with.</p><p>“Can’t say that I have, sorry, uh...Ben, was it?”</p><p>Ben nodded at Buir and then turned triumphantly to Grogu. </p><p>“See? I told you!”</p><p>Grogu looked crestfallen. His dad looked confused, as he slightly tilted his helmet and reached out to pat an upset Grogu on the head. </p><p>
  <em> Buir, but what about that time when you caught that gray fish in the scary lake and cooked it with the slushy stuff? You said it was gravy! I ate it because I thought it was gravy!  </em>
</p><p>“Grogu says that you fried a fish with gravy once, Mr. Mando. And that he drank the gravy.”</p><p>It was only with a subtle motion from Buir that revealed his shock. </p><p>“Uh...I’ve fried a fish once. With oil. And I scraped off the melted gray scales because I was worried Grogu would choke on it.” It was then that Buir turned to fully face Grogu. “That scaly sludge disappeared, as I recall. I thought some animal ate it. But apparently I was wrong, huh?” He reached out to tickle Grogu behind the ears as Grogu let out a string of giggles. </p><p>
  <em> Kriff. Oh well, at least that scale sludge was yummy.  </em>
</p><p>It was that moment and that story that broke the ice for the small group. Grogu was pleased as his friends took Ben’s question as their que to bombard the visitor with questions of their own. </p><p>“What is your armor made out of?” Jacen asked.</p><p>“Beskar. It’s very rare, and culturally belongs to the Mandalorians. In its purest form it can resist even a lightsaber slash.”</p><p>“Prove it!” Terro interjected.</p><p>“No,” Master Skywalker said, very quickly and sternly.</p><p>“What’s a Mandalorian?” Kila asked.</p><p>“It’s not really a ‘what’. We’re a people. We uphold our Creed and follow the Way of the Mandalore.”</p><p>“Is that why you don’t remove your helmet? Grogu said you don’t remove your helmet.”</p><p>“This is the Way.” </p><p>“That’s so COOL!” Ben ogled.</p><p>“...Thank you.”</p><p>“Have you killed people?” Ben asked again.</p><p>“Uhm. I’m a...I used to work as a bounty hunter, so sometimes I have to take down bad guys.”</p><p>“I wanna take down bad guys!” Terro proclaimed, standing up in his seat.</p><p>“I have no doubt that you will one day, Terro. But only after you complete your training and finish eating your waffle.” Skywalker said, pointing to Terro’s plate of half-eaten food. Terro sighed longingly and sat back down. </p><p>“How many planets have you traveled to, Mister?” Jacen asked.</p><p>“Honestly, too many to keep count. My, uh, work takes me to a lot of different places. Uh, Jacen, right?”</p><p>Jacen nodded. “Yup!”</p><p>“Jacen’s aunt is a Mandalorian. She has painted armor. Why don’t you paint your armor, Mr. Mando?” Kila inquired. </p><p>“I choose not to. Every color has meaning, and I haven’t felt strongly attached to any color yet to paint my armor.”</p><p>“If you paint your armor, can I help?” Terro asked. </p><p>“I guess we’ll have to wait and see...uh…”</p><p>Master Skywalker leaned across the table to whisper something to Buir.</p><p>“Uh...Terro, sorry.”</p><p>“You should paint your armor blue. I like the color blue,” Kila stated.</p><p>“I’ll think about it…” Grogu’s dad turned to Master Skywalker, who leaned in to whisper something again. </p><p>“...Kila, thanks for the suggestion.”</p><p>Grogu knew he’d never paint his armor blue, simply because the lady with the owl icon on her helmet and the red hair had blue armor. But at least Kila tried.</p><p>“Grogu also said you jumped into a krayt dragon. Is that true?”</p><p>“Yes, that’s true, Kila.”</p><p>All the students balked (aside from Grogu, of course), and it was Master Skywalker’s turn to drop his utensil in shock. </p><p>“Mando, what in the kr- what exactly warranted you jumping into a <em> krayt dragon?! </em>” Skywalker exclaimed, losing his signature cool demeanor for a split second.</p><p>Grogu looked up at his dad expectantly. It was his fault for verifying Kila’s claim. Now he <em> had </em> to share the story. </p><p>“Well, I guess it started when I met the Marshal of Mos Pelgo, Cobb Vanth…”</p><p>Any tension that had been in the room was all released by now as Grogu happily watched his dad recount the story of the krayt dragon. He felt the excitement and curiosity rise in the mess hall as his dad continued his tale. He couldn’t help but look back at Master Skywalker with the all too familiar glint in his eyes. <em> What did it mean? </em>Grogu knew it from somewhere. But to exactly pinpoint it was the issue. </p><p>Grogu allowed all the sounds and emotions surrounding him to drown and fizzle out for a moment. He calmed his mind and reached out…</p><p>Flashes. Just quick, brief flashes and snapshots. A familiar aura, one of security, safety, and comfort. But it was a time before Buir.</p><p>Beings. So many beings. Everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. The force was not as strong as it was simply <em> dense </em> . An overwhelming <em> density </em> of the force. It would often comfort Grogu as much as it would cause him stress. But it didn’t take away from the fact that Grogu still felt a sense of belonging, a sense of what was once a place of peace…</p><p>The Jedi Temple.</p><p>“And then I shot out of that son of a...uh...I shot out of the krayt dragon with my jetpack as it finally collapsed onto the sand for good.”</p><p>A chorus of oohs and ahhs circled around the table as the story wrapped up. </p><p>“That’s. So. COOL!”</p><p>“But how was your jetpack still functional? I read that a majority of mechanical devices that are exposed to moisture will be damaged and the inside of a krayt dragon sounds like it’s—”</p><p>“How did you even come up with a plan like that, Mr. Mando?”</p><p>“I wanna jump in a krayt dragon!” </p><p>“There will be absolutely NO jumping in krayt dragons, Terro—”</p><p>“But if Mr. Mando can do it, why can’t I?”</p><p>“Because Mr. Mando is a trained expert, and an adult. You’ve still got a ways to go, little one.”</p><p>“Can I jump in something smaller?”</p><p>“Well, I don’t think—”</p><p>“You’d stink. For like, 30 rotations.”</p><p>“You’re mean!”</p><p>“No, I’m <em> right. </em>”</p><p>“No, you’re not!”</p><p>“Yes, I am!”</p><p>“No, you’re not!”</p><p>“Yes, I am!”</p><p>“No, you’re not!”</p><p>“Yes, I—”</p><p>Grogu placed a hand on whatever part of his dad was in reach and looked up at him. His dad let out a familiar sigh. </p><p>“How am I doing, ad’ika?” </p><p><em> You’re doing great, Buir. Master Skywalker said it would be a bit hard for you at first, but you’re doing fine! I think you are a great storyteller. My friends all loved it! I can tell. </em>“Bwah! Eyaaaaaah. Emah. Bwah.”</p><p>“Thanks. I hope.”</p><p>“Alright, let’s get cleaned up, you loth cats,” Master Skywalker said, wrapping up lunch. It wasn’t long before all the students had put away their plates. Grogu sent a light nudge with the force towards Master Skywalker. </p><p>
  <em> Is there any chance Ben and I can go to the meditation room for a bit? There’s something I’d like to focus on really quickly. </em>
</p><p>Grogu got a response instantly. <em> Of course you can, just make sure you’re at the study in about fifteen minutes, alright? </em></p><p>
  <em> Got it, Master. Can you watch my dad for me? </em>
</p><p>He felt a ripple of amusement from Skywalker. <em> Of course I can, Grogu. No worries. </em></p><p>
  <em> Thank you, Master! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Anytime, little one. </em>
</p><p>…</p><p>Travel by Ben Solo had to be in Grogu’s Top Five methods of travel. Number One, of course, was with Buir, specifically flying through the air with his jetpack. Number Two was just in the little sack Buir held him in. Number Three was on the shoulders of his best friend. Number Four was in his Jedi Temple transport pad. Number Five was in his old metal levitating crib. </p><p>Needless to say, it wasn’t long before the pair reached their destination.</p><p>Grogu sat across from Ben, the both of them criss-crossed in the meditation room.There were small cushions all around for sitting on. It was large, quiet, calm, and peaceful with a little bit of light shining through the small windows. </p><p>
  <em> Focus yourself. Clear your mind.  </em>
</p><p>Grogu took a deep breath in, and out. He then reached out to Ben, who in turn reached out to him</p><p><em> I am one with the force and the force is with me, </em>Grogu said.</p><p><em>I am one with the force and the force is with me, </em>Grogu said, this time with Ben chiming in.</p><p>Grogu remembered the memory or vision he saw during lunch in the mess hall. </p><p><em> The Jedi Temple… </em>It was a place Grogu saw more than once while dreaming or meditating. It was a place Grogu associated many conflicting feelings with. The feeling of security, of belonging. The feeling that everyone there cared about him to some extent and understood him. They could talk with him. They could help him. It was so dense, so overflowing with the force. So powerful and focused. Just so...dense. But it wasn’t perfect, like he so badly wanted it to be. There was always a cloud of...confusion. Fear. Darkness. It was like it was hovering just out of reach, and if you reached too far it would disappear and you would fall. </p><p>And then <em> that </em> night came. </p><p>The night the dam broke and all the water came flooding out, far too much water at once for any being to handle. </p><p>Grogu tried not to think about it. He didn’t <em> want </em>to think about it. It caused too much...pain. And conflict. And feelings Jedi weren’t supposed to feel. But if he had to meditate on something related to the Jedi Temple, Grogu had to confront his fears about that night. </p><p><em> I am one with the force and the force is with me, </em>he felt Ben say mentally, reassuring Grogu that he was okay. </p><p>More images popped up. Faces. Places. Feelings...</p><p>…</p><p>
  <em> Grogu was moving through the halls of Coruscant's legendary Jedi Temple in a small hovering pad. The Jedi Council permitted him to use it for transport between classes, and Grogu was always sure to take full advantage of it. That included accelerating at certain times if there was a friend in the temple he wanted to run his transport into. Respectfully, of course, if anyone asked.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu felt the vastly different force signatures move and change around him as he whirled through the halls, meditation with Grand Master Yoda being his destination. Yoda didn’t really mind too much when students were late. He would usually recite a long lecture, however. Backwards. And if any student asked for it’s meaning, he would simply chuckle and the lesson would begin. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu was going to be late, of course. It wasn’t ideal. But he simply had to run into Master Kenobi, Skywalker, and Padawan Tano. The trio were always going on and on about something or other, and Grogu loved to listen to them banter. It didn’t take an advanced force user to feel the strong compassion the three had for each other. Grogu had always dreamed and yearned for someone to care about him the way the three Jedi cared about each other. They were like family. Grogu always wanted a family. He kept having to watch his friends in class advance to higher levels, from youngling to padawan, and after padawan was of course, Jedi Knight. Grogu’s species rarely grew the same way as most other species in the temple, and had always felt...left out. He had friends in all his classes, but he knew his path was different from theirs. How exactly, he didn’t know. But his path was different, and he didn’t want it to be. He wanted to advance in his classes and travel the galaxy. But Grogu could not. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Well, at least Grogu could ram his transport into three of his favorite Temple residents as he turned the corner.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A muffled ‘oomph’ came from Master Kenobi as Grogu whacked his transport into his kneecaps happily. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Youngling Grogu! Your piloting skills rival that of my old student,” Kenobi chuckled. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Is that an insult or a compliment?” Skywalker asked with a snarky tone. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You decide.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “It was an insult, Skyguy,” Padawan Tano interjected. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Hey, how many times did MY flying skills save us from certain death?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “How many times did your flying skills nearly cause us to have certain death?” </em>
</p><p><em> “That statement didn’t even make sense. Much like Obi-Wan’s girlfriend doesn’t make any sense </em> — <em> ” </em></p><p>
  <em> “ANAKIN!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oooooh. Master Kenobi? A girlfriend? Grogu knew it would be a good idea to run into them. He sent a mental message to the trio of them saying hello, and asking who Obi-Wan’s supposed girlfriend was. He couldn’t wait for Petro to get a load of this.  </em>
</p><p><em> “Well, you see </em> — <em> ” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Master Kenobi has a girlfriend, Master Kenobi has a girlfriend-” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Ahsoka, do you want all of Coruscant to hear you?!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I do, as a matter of fact.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu held back a giggle. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “And the Duchess of Mandalore, no less! How very scandalous of you, Master. This little crush of yours has really gotten out of hand.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Real funny, Anakin.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ohhh. A little crush, huh? Maybe Grogu should tell Gungi, he was less likely to spread things than Petro. But Petro would find the news far more amusing than Gungi.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What, you expect me to believe the whole ‘she’s just a friend’ routine?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Yes, I do! Because Satine’s just that: a good friend. We’ve known each other since I was a padawan, so of course I’m going to be friendly towards her—” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> THERE IT WAS! That unique glint in Master Kenobi’s eye. Those warm, positive, glowy feelings.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Yeah. You’re reaaaal friendly with her, I’m sure.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “ANAKIN!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Should I start singing again?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “AHSOKA!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You know, you can’t have an affair with the Duchess of Mandalore and Commander Cody at the same time, that’s just messed up.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “He’s right, Master Kenobi.” </em>
</p><p><em> “ANAKIN SKYWALKER AND AHSOKA TANO. THE SHEER AUDACITY </em> — <em> ” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Hey, hey! Do you want all of Coruscant to hear you?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu took that as his cue to hit the accelerator on his transport and speed away. He might as well skip Master Yoda’s class at this point. But Grogu wouldn’t. He had to train. He had to advance. He had to become a Jedi like all his friends around him would. Right?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Right?</em>
</p><p>...</p><p>Grogu snapped back to the present, with his new fresh realization. He felt that Ben was also wrapping up his meditation session as well.</p><p>
  <em> BEN! BEN! BEN! </em>
</p><p>“WHAT IS IT, GROGU?” </p><p>
  <em> I think I know what’s going on with Master Skywalker and my Buir. </em>
</p><p>“Great. I think...I think I do too.”</p><p>
  <em> Count of three? </em>
</p><p>“Count of three. One.”</p><p>
  <em> Two. </em>
</p><p>“Three!”</p><p>
  <em> Master Skywalker and Buir like each other!  </em>
</p><p>“Uncle Luke and Mr. Mando want to kill each other!”</p><p>
  <em> What? </em>
</p><p>“What?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry if there wasn't too much going on, I was mainly focusing on kinda establishing the general vibe ya know<br/>thank you so, so, so much for reading babes &lt;3 I love you so much fr</p><p>as of now, I plan to have about 3-4 chapters, but honestly? it's up in the air. once again thank you so much for reading!</p><p>tumblr: double-ii (i don't really have much there tho lmao)<br/>gogurt Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7gsF1M4tNJUPxwjap8Bi4r?si=9hDdOzd-SPCNPfwRstj2YQ</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Of Operations and Sleeping Situations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“This is our first mission. As real Jedi padawans, Grogu.” Ben stood up in his chair as well, tilted his head, and looked off into the distance in order to capture the legendary Jedi flare for the dramatic. Ben then looked down at Grogu. “We need an operation name. In all the holofilms I’ve seen with Dad, missions as important as this ALWAYS have operation names.”</p><p>Grogu felt like he was on top of the moon. Ben was in!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>OH MY GOD CARII WHAT THE FUCK<br/>-coffeecatsme, 2021<br/>read everything dinluke she has and then read it again, because you like making yourself suffer. </p><p>and :) if you noticed :) some tags were added :) shhh :) i love you guys so much :)<br/>hope u enjoy the galaxy's greatest little shits :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> Master Skywalker and Buir like each other!  </em>
</p><p>“Uncle Luke and Mr. Mando want to kill each other!”</p><p>
  <em> What? </em>
</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Well. That was definitely not what Grogu expected as a response. The will of the force was something that all of Master Skywalker’s students were taught to respect and interpret to the best of their abilities. However, Grogu had to admit, sometimes the ‘will of the force’ could be a fresh load of bantha droppings. Or maybe Ben’s interpretation was the load of bantha droppings. </p><p>
  <em> Why the KRIFF do you think they want to kill each other, Ben?!  </em>
</p><p>“Listen, it makes sense when you think about—”</p><p>
  <em> What did you see? </em>
</p><p>“I was LITERALLY about to tell you, Grogu,” Ben huffed in irritation. Grogu gave him a pointed stare as Ben continued his explanation. </p><p>“When I reached out to the force, I saw a memory. It was from a few years ago, in the Falcon with Mom and Dad. The hyperdrive went offline thanks to Chewie whacking it, and Dad said he needed an emitter matrix to fix it. So he borrowed the emitter matrix from Mom’s lightsaber!” </p><p>Grogu’s eyes widened in shock. Though Master Organa and Master Skywalker were twins, their auras were different in many, many, ways. They were both kind and powerful, nurturing and strong. But Master Organa had an aura of...authority. That was it. Authority. Control. Willpower. Grogu couldn’t even begin to imagine her reaction if her husband took parts out of her lightsaber.</p><p>
  <em> How is Captain Solo still alive?! </em>
</p><p>“I’m not even sure, to be honest. Mom says a <em> lot </em>of not-nice people want to kill Dad.”</p><p>
  <em> Auntie Cara said the same thing about my dad! </em>
</p><p>“Anyways, we installed the emitter matrix into the hyperdrive. Unfortunately, Mom knew the moment she walked into the cockpit. She said she was going to kill Dad and chased him around the Falcon with a wrench! Chewie got the whole thing on holo-cam. It was really funny. We like to watch it while eating pepper pretzels.”</p><p><em> That does sound really funny, </em> Grogu said, laughing as he pictured Captain Solo being chased around by an angry Master Organa. </p><p>Ben was laughing, too. “Chewie says that it’s just how Mom and Dad show love sometimes. They say not-nice things, but they don’t really mean it. They still like each other.”</p><p>It was then that the realization finally hit Ben as well. </p><p>“GROGU!”</p><p>
  <em> WHAT! </em>
</p><p>“Uncle Luke and Mr. Mando like, LIKE each other!”</p><p>Grogu exasperatedly slapped his tiny palm on his face.</p><p>
  <em> I TOLD YOU SO! </em>
</p><p>“Yeah, whatever, but what do we do? Should we ask Uncle Luke for advice? Or should we ask Jacen because asking Uncle about it would be <em> weird </em>?”</p><p>
  <em> Well… </em>
</p><p>There were three main parts to receiving information from the force. The first part was to interpret it. The second part was to deal with it. The third part was to clean up your mess. Ideally, there wouldn’t be a mess, but from Grogu’s experience, there was <em> always </em>a mess. </p><p>
  <em> ...I suppose we follow the will of the force. We already know that Master Skywalker and Buir like each other. As in, LIKE each other. </em>
</p><p>Ben nodded solemnly. “But why do we know? Why are we involved? What are we supposed to do? I really think we should talk to someone—”</p><p>
  <em> Nope. Nope nope nope nope. If we were supposed to talk to someone, wouldn’t the force reach out in some way to them too? </em>
</p><p>“...Fair point.”</p><p>
  <em> I know. This is a mission for us to complete. </em>
</p><p>“Seriously, Grogu? There’s a mission?”</p><p>Grogu tried his best to summon his inner Jedi Master flair for the dramatic as he stood up in his seat. He wished he were taller—he act of standing-up would’ve been much more theatrical and triumphant. Unfortunately, he was rather short.  </p><p>
  <em> I have figured it out. It is our mission to get Master Skywalker and my dad together. As in dating, together. </em>
</p><p>Ben was silent, which was not a common state for Grogu’s best friend.</p><p><em> Hey, the force wills it! Who are we to decline the will of the force? </em>Grogu liked playing the ‘will of the force’ card. It was a hard one to argue against.</p><p>Ben was still silent for another beat. Then he finally spoke up.</p><p>“Grogu…”</p><p>
  <em> Yes? </em>
</p><p>Grogu really hoped he hadn’t misinterpreted their visions. He knew he couldn't have. Grogu had a feeling he would’ve figured out his dad and his teacher had feelings for each other without the aid of the force. Subtlety was not one of Buir’s strong suits, and Master Skywalker’s feelings were easy to read. But Grogu was still worried that Ben wouldn’t help him, or that Ben would tell the other students about ‘Grogu’s silly vision’ and embarrass Grogu.</p><p>
  <em> What is it? </em>
</p><p>“This is our <em> first mission. </em> As real Jedi padawans, Grogu.” Ben stood up in his chair as well, tilted his head, and looked off into the distance in order to capture the legendary Jedi flare for the dramatic. Ben then looked down at Grogu. “We need an operation name. In all the holofilms I’ve seen with Dad, missions as important as this ALWAYS have operation names.”</p><p>Grogu felt like he was on top of the moon. Ben was in! </p><p><em> Got it, </em> he thought aloud. <em> How about Operation Frog? </em></p><p>Ben shook his head. “Overdone. Operation Cape?”</p><p>
  <em> Why cape? </em>
</p><p>“Because I like capes and they look cool.”</p><p>
  <em> Boooooring. Operation Crest? </em>
</p><p>“Operation Falcon if we’re gonna go with a ship.”</p><p><em> Forget it, then. How about… </em> </p><p>Grogu thought back on his day. Stone? Frog? No, he already tried frog. Grass? Tree? Cookies? </p><p>“I like the cookie one. I can picture it: Operation Cookies…”</p><p>Grogu perked up. <em> Really? </em></p><p>Ben nodded. “Uh huh. Operation Cookies. It’s not too suspicious, but it’s got the right amount of <em> cool. </em>I like it.”</p><p><em> Operation Cookies it is! </em> </p><p>Ben had a wide grin on his face. “This. Is. Awesome. But Grogu, we really should...uh...maybe ask Jacen for advice. To gather intel for the mission, you know?”</p><p>Grogu cocked his head to the side. This was a mission just for him and Ben, and Jacen was...well, he didn't like to be bothered by the younger students. And they were out of meiloorun cookies to bribe him to cooperate. </p><p>
  <em> Why would we ask Jacen? </em>
</p><p>“Well...he told me that he was <em> dating </em> someone one time. He snuck out to see her when Master Luke wasn’t here and Threepio was watching us and I’m not supposed to tell anyone because it’s a secret and—” Ben took a quick breath and continued. “My point is...maybe he can tell us how people date each other. We won’t tell him about Operation Cookies, though. That’s <em> our </em>mission.”</p><p>Grogu nodded. </p><p><em> Okay. Sounds good. So after dinner </em>—</p><p>“We’ll be sure to drop by Jacen’s room and ask.”</p><p>
  <em> Perfect. So, we have Phase 1 of Operation Cookies: Gather intel. </em>
</p><p>“Specifically intel on how people date.”</p><p>
  <em> Shall we? </em>
</p><p>“Let’s do this.”</p><p>And with that, Grogu leapt onto Ben’s shoulders and the duo ran out of the meditation room, past the dorms, to the temple's study. </p><p>…</p><p>“Most Jedi and force practitioners wore simple robes made out of linen coth...cloths, specifily...specifically in the neutral tones brown and beige. This was to retain a sense of humbleness, to not be attached to elaborate garments and fancy outerwear.” Ben paused in his reading to stifle a giggle, and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Outerwear? That reminds me of <em> underwear. </em>” Grogu held in a snort as Ben turned the page. </p><p>The two friends were sitting on the floor, flipping through a book regarding traditional Jedi wear. There were large sketches of linen robes and fancy utility belts, along with elaborate fine-print descriptions that hurt Grogu’s eyes a bit to read. Across the room sat Kila, who was reading to Terro on a beanbag. Jacen was lounging on a cushioned chair, his nose in a book as well. </p><p>It was important to Master Skywalker that at least twice in a week the students of the Yavin 4 Jedi Temple had research and reading time in the study. It was a cozy place, with beanbags and couches crowding the room and shelves filled with books on top of books.</p><p>Apparently, Masters Skywalker and Organa had made several trips to reclaim old Jedi texts, and Jacen had even accompanied them on a few of their missions. “Being a Jedi isn’t only about being able to learn how to wield the force and wield a lightsaber,” Master Skywalker had said. “It’s about understanding <em> why </em> we wield the force. <em> Why </em> we’re connected to our sabers. It’s about <em> why </em>you are all training to be Jedi. That’s why we read and learn, so we can understand more about ourselves and the galaxy at large.”</p><p>It was nothing Grogu hadn’t heard before, to be honest. Grogu’s teachers at the Coruscant Jedi Temple had always stressed the importance of research and education, and the more philosophical side of being a Jedi Knight. However, they began to stress its importance less and less as the Clone War dragged on. </p><p>By the time <em> that </em> night had come, the philosophical teachings of the Jedi were the last thing on Grogu’s mind. The only thing Grogu could think about, could <em> feel, </em>was the dark side of the force. Extreme fear. Grogu would always look back on that night and wonder if he could’ve done something different. Then, maybe he wouldn't be the only youngling to escape the Temple. He could’ve saved his classmates. Maybe some Temple guards could have tagged along. Maybe he wouldn’t have to feel his only family die around him, feel them take their final breaths. </p><p>Grogu constantly had to remind himself that what had happened, had happened. There was nothing he could do to change the past. He still had the force within him, and his newfound friends and family. But it always hurt just a bit more when he read books that were from Couroscant’s Jedi Temple. Grogu could feel it’s history, it’s energy. He could feel the thousands of eyes that had once laid themselves on the book in front of him. It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing that in some way, the Jedi could live on in these bundles of paper and ink.</p><p>“Pssst! Grogu!” Ben gave him a poke in the stomach and then pointed. “Look!” </p><p>Grogu, jolted out of his thoughts, looked in the direction of Ben’s finger, and was hit with a wave of light, positive, caring emotions along a thick mix of hesitant and shy feelings. </p><p>Across the room Master Skywalker had gotten a thick, navy-toned book off the shelves, passed it to Buir, and proceeded to sit down next to him on a couch. Grogu could see Master Skywalker’s mouth moving, but couldn’t quite make out what he was saying as Buir started flipping through the book. The affectionate look in Master Skywalker’s eyes was unmistakable.</p><p>Grogu looked up at Ben.</p><p>Ben looked down at Grogu. </p><p>He shut the book.</p><p>The two students proceeded to scoot forward towards their parental figures. Scooting was not a subtle act. However, thanks to Master Luke’s stealth lessons, Grogu liked to believe that he and Ben were doing a decent job at going unnoticed. It sure helped that the Jedi and Mandalorian were very engaged in their conversation and not paying attention to the two little eavesdropping padawans. Within a few seconds, they were within earshot. </p><p>“Of course, the text is extremely biased so I understand I’m not getting the full picture…” Grogu heard Master Skywalker say softly.</p><p>“It’s alright. To be honest I don’t know too much about the wars either. It was somewhat of a... taboo topic, I suppose. Within my covert,” a modulated voice responded. </p><p>“I only learned about the <em> Mandalorian &amp; Jedi Wars </em>from these books. It’s hard to even pin down the original conflict.”</p><p>Grogu watched as his dad nodded slowly. </p><p>“I was worried that taking Grogu would be some sort of insult to you and your culture, so I’ve been trying to do as much reading as I can. But it’s not easy with the limited material I have. I hope I haven’t insulted you, I don’t want—”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been. Uh. Trying to learn about the Jedi as well ever since I was informed that Grogu had ‘wizard’ powers. The stuff I read hasn’t been exactly positive,”</p><p>Master Skywalker winced. </p><p>“But you don’t seem to be following much of the stuff that I’ve read. I thought I wouldn’t be able to see the kid again after he left with you. I’m...really glad I was wrong.”</p><p>“Yeah...the old Jedi Order was pretty strict with their ways. Honestly, one of the main reasons things are different is my sister.” Master Skywalker chuckled. “There was no way she would ever let me take her son and refuse to let her see him. And I wasn’t too excited to encourage the Jedi reputation of being a ‘baby snatcher’.”</p><p>Buir hummed in response. </p><p>“You’re not what I expected at all out of a Jedi. Uh. Luke.” </p><p>“Well, from my experience, you’re a far cry from what I expected from a Mandalorian,” Master Luke said, a warm smile on his face. “Mando.” He placed a hand on Buir’s shoulder. </p><p><em> AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! </em>Grogu thought towards Ben. </p><p><em> AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!</em> Ben sent mentally to Grogu. </p><p>Grogu was glad to see that both he and his friend were on the same page about the situation unfolding in front of them. Grogu could feel the emotions he felt before radiating off of Master Skywalker and Buir, only they had now multiplied exponentially with Master Skywalker’s subtle touch.</p><p>The tender moment was swiftly interrupted, however. Grogu wasn’t too surprised that it was Terro’s fault, either.</p><p>“Master Skywalker? When’s dinner?” Terro whined. Kila rolled her eyes and got up to grab another book.</p><p>Master Skywalker shifted his focus away from Buir and towards the small togruta. “Terro, you just had lunch. Didn’t I tell you to finish your food?”</p><p>“Yeah, but I wasn’t hungry earlier. I’m hungry now.” </p><p>“We’ll see about grabbing you a snack after study time, but next time you have to...”</p><p>Grogu grumbled in annoyance. He could feel his dad retreating back into his emotional shell along with waves of exasperation from Master Skywalker.</p><p>
  <em> Great. Just great. </em>
</p><p>…</p><p>Grogu could feel the wind push against his face, going in the opposite direction he intended to go in. He was thankful the cloth blindfold he wore was protecting his eyes from the dust specs that were whirling around him. Grogu reached out, feeling the surrounding area, and he focused on a ledge that jut out of a nearby rock. He bent his legs slightly and lept, letting the force pull him towards the rock’s ledge and landed on it soundly, using his hands to steady himself. It was a slightly smaller ledge than Grogu anticipated, and he was proud of himself for making it. He was also very proud of Buir, whose panic had decreased ever so slightly when it came to the task Grogu had at hand. </p><p>Terro had gotten a protein bar, which Terro disliked very much but wasn’t in any place to complain about it. Study time had ended a little more than half an hour ago, and afterwards came more force exercises. At the moment, that exercise was navigating an obstacle course Master Skywalker had set up that the padawans were expected to complete while blindfolded. </p><p>“You’ve got two more to go!” He heard Master Skywalker say, his voice coming somewhere up ahead of Grogu. “You’re doing great, little one!”</p><p>“GO, GROGU!” Ben cheered, his voice coming from somewhere left of Skywalker’s direction as well.</p><p>“You got it!” Kila yelped. Grogu was able to determine she was standing next to Ben.</p><p>
  <em> I am one with the force and the force is with me.  </em>
</p><p>Grogu took a deep breath and reached out again. He felt a branch up ahead of him, to his left. It was...slightly closer to the ground, in comparison to the ledge he was on. He was small enough to land on the branch, but he’d have to use his hands to hold the branch to ensure he wouldn’t fall.</p><p>He reached out and felt the force boost his jump and his feet slipped from the branch, but Grogu was able to latch onto it with his arms. He quickly called on the force to help him pull himself on top of the branch, and steadied himself as he felt the environment around him. He also felt himself fill with positive feelings as his friends shouted bouts of encouragement from up ahead.</p><p>“The pad’s right there!”</p><p>“You’re soooooo close...”</p><p>“WOOOOO! GO GROGU!”</p><p>“Ad’ika, watch your step!”</p><p>Grogu could envision the hexagonal pad he was supposed to land on to complete the obstacle course. The pad was somewhat to the right, and a good distance ahead of him. Thankfully, Grogu could feel that the pad was on the ground, so he’d only have to worry about getting the distance right, and not about the height. Grogu used his arms to help propel him from the branch, as the force guided him to the landing pad and he landed down soundly. He did it! Grogu felt a strong flame of pride from his dad as his classmates congratulated him. He then felt himself being lifted up by a familiar bright presence as his blindfold was lifted away from his eyes.</p><p>
  <em> Master Skywalker, I did it! I did it! </em>
</p><p>“I know you did, little one! I’m so proud! That second-to-last jump wasn’t an easy one.”</p><p>
  <em> But I did it! I was able to balance!” </em>
</p><p>Grogu was very happy to see Master Skywalker’s bright smile as he rubbed Grogu’s ears. “Yes, you were! Your sense of self and the area surrounding you is improving. Next time, I want you to work on long-term anticipation. Try and see the entire course set in front of you as you go, so you can better conserve your energy and improve your speed. Got it?”</p><p>
  <em> Got it, Master!  </em>
</p><p>Grogu lightly patted Master Skywalker’s cheek to show his thanks as he felt a pair of eyes intently trained on him. Grogu swerved his head to the side, accidentally whacking Skywalker with his ears. <em> Oops. </em></p><p>Once Grogu turned, he saw his dad staring at the two of them with waves of affection, pride, and joy. Grogu let happy squeal and waved his hands, overjoyed that Buir was still letting him stay with Master Skywalker at the Jedi Temple after seeing the activities Grogu took part in. </p><p><em> Did you see that?! The next time the bad guys are chasing us, they’ll never be able to catch me, </em>Grogu exclaimed. </p><p>“He was saying he can outrun any bad guys that come your way,” Master Skywalker translated as he passed Grogu.</p><p>His dad chuckled, and Grogu felt a sense of fondness and more overwhelming pride through Buir’s helmeted gaze. “I have no doubt that you can.”</p><p>
  <em> You bet! </em>
</p><p>“That was crazy, kid. You had me worried a bit there.”</p><p>
  <em> That’s why I’m training. Master Skywalker says that the more we practice, the safer we’ll be. </em>
</p><p>It was then that a tiny grumble made itself known from Grogu’s stomach. </p><p>“Is it dinner time, Master?” Kila inquired, tugging lightly on Master Skywalker’s tunic. </p><p><em> Pleaseeeeeee? </em>Grogu begged, as Kila, Terro, Jacen, and Ben joined the chorus of ‘please’s.</p><p>Skywalker sighed. “I don’t have a choice, do I?</p><p>The students shook their heads.</p><p>“Dinner time it is,” he said. </p><p>“WOOHOO!”</p><p>
  <em> YES! </em>
</p><p>“I’m actually not that hungry—”</p><p>“Can I have a mygeeto burrito?”</p><p>
  <em> ... </em>
</p><p>Grogu now sat in his dad’s arms as the other four students paraded through the Jedi Temple with Master Skywalker taking up the rear, going towards the dorms to get ready for bed. Grogu was pooped. It had been a wild day from start to finish, but the day’s agenda wasn’t yet complete. </p><p>Grogu had felt Ben sneaking looks at his uncle and Buir, keeping an eye out for any more <em> interesting </em> moments for the rest of the day’s activities. Much to Ben and Grogu’s dissapointment, nothing of note came up aside from the moment in the library. But Grogu had a feeling it wouldn’t be long until something else came up. The pair of padawans also had an unscheduled meeting with Jacen to attend.</p><p><em> Hopefully Jacen’s not in a bad mood right now, </em> he heard Ben say mentally. <em> You did fling that huge branch at him when it was his turn on the obstacle course.  </em></p><p><em> In my defense, I was giving him an extra challenge. He’ll be a better Jedi because of me! </em>Grogu sent back. </p><p>He heard a small giggle from Ben.</p><p><em> Anyways, </em> Ben started, a determined look on his face, <em> once we complete the next part of Operation Cookies, we gotta start making plans. There’s always a big, fancy, plan in holofilms. </em></p><p>
  <em> Got it!  </em>
</p><p>He was very thankful to have Ben in on Operation Cookies. Ben’s extensive knowledge of holofilms was clearly proving useful towards the mission.</p><p>The tired Jedi padawans proceeded to retreat to their dorm rooms. Buir was about to open Grogu’s door, but Grogu beat him to it using the force.</p><p>“I keep forgetting you can do small things like that by yourself now, ad’ika,” his dad marveled softly.</p><p><em> I’ve been training a lot, Buir! </em>“Bwah.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m still getting used to it.”</p><p>Buir proceeded to gently place Grogu on the ground as he waddled through the door. </p><p><em> This is my new room, Buir! </em>“Eah!”</p><p>His dad had to duck his head slightly to walk through the door. </p><p>“It looks great, Grogu! I’m glad you get to have your own space.” Grogu watched as Buir looked around. A grin broke out on Grogu’s face when he felt bright, positive, feelings bubble up in his dad, similar to when Grogu had first shown him his room door.</p><p><em> Do you like my drawings? </em>“Emoo. Patoo?” He pointed towards his small doodles for emphasis. </p><p>“Those look great, ad’ika!” Grogu was filled with joy at the tone of his dad’s voice as he sat down next to Grogu.</p><p><em> This one’s my favorite! </em>“Eyah! Amah!” Grogu gestured to a drawing right next to his sleeping mat. It was a picture of Grogu and Buir, and in the background was a large silver aircraft.</p><p>“Is that us and the Razor Crest?” </p><p><em> Yup! </em>“Bwah!”</p><p>He heard Buir laugh softly. “You know, I miss flying around with just you in that hunk of metal.”</p><p><em> I miss it too, Buir. I love it here so much, but I miss you a lot. </em>“Eyah. Bwahmoo. Bwah.”</p><p>“I can’t believe how much you’ve grown in just a month, kid.”</p><p>
  <em> I’m older than you. “Bah.” </em>
</p><p>Grogu could feel his dad’s smile as he reached over and scratched Grogu’s ears.</p><p>This was nice. Grogu could feel himself at peace, with his dad at his side, his closest friends just a door away, and...Master Skywalker walking towards his room! He felt Skywalker’s familiar light, nurturing presence wash over as a knock sounded on the door.</p><p>
  <em> Master Skywalker! </em>
</p><p>“Uh...come in!”</p><p>“Hey, Grogu!” Master Skywalker immediately sat down with Grogu and Buir, and reached out to pat Grogu’s head. “Mando,” he flashed his blinding smile over at Buir and Grogu could feel the same feelings from the study bubble up again. “I was just checking in to see if you needed a room to stay in, or if you wanted to stay with Grogu.”</p><p>“I’m fine staying with Grogu, thank you.” </p><p>“Of course! I uh...also noticed that you haven’t eaten all day. Grogu mentioned that your creed prevents you from removing your helmet, right?”</p><p>Buir nodded as Master Skywalker reached towards his belt and pulled out a couple of protein bars. “Here. I hope you’re not as picky as Terro.” </p><p>His dad let out a chuckle, and another realization hit Grogu. He had only heard his dad let out a laugh three times. And over half of those times were here, in the Jedi Temple. Grogu was very pleased that his dad’s mood had improved since he had come to Yavin 4. </p><p>It was then that Grogu heard a voice calling to him. Not verbally calling, but mentally.</p><p><em> Grogu! Can we go talk to Jacen now? </em>It seemed Ben was all ready to check down Phase 1 of Operation Cookies. </p><p><em> Got it, </em> Grogu shot back. <em> Give me a few seconds! </em></p><p><em> Alrighty! </em>Ben replied.</p><p>Grogu turned to Master Skywalker and Buir and sent a mental message over. </p><p>
  <em> Can I go hang out with Ben while Buir gets ready? </em>
</p><p>“Grogu asked if he can go hang out with Ben while you get ready,” Master Skywalker translated to Buir. “That’s fine with me. Is that all good with you, Mando?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s good with me,” Buir responded. </p><p>“Great! I’ll be back in twenty minutes or so just to make sure all the little ones are actually sleeping.” Skywalker said. Grogu’s dad gave another nod.</p><p>“Thanks, I uh. Really appreciate it.”</p><p>Grogu let out a happy squeak as he waddled out of his room, with Master Skywalker following behind him.</p><p><em> You’re not gonna cause too much trouble, are you? It’s too late for more antics, </em>he heard Master Skywalker say.</p><p>
  <em> Of course not, Master! We have to save our energy and plans for tomorrow. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Just checking, little one. Be back in your room before checks, okay? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Got it! </em>
</p><p>Master Skywalker smiled and gave a wave as he walked away. He was wrong, of course. It was never too late for antics.</p><p>Grogu walked over to the bright green-and-orange door, with his partner-in-crime Ben already there, rolling on the balls of his feet, feelings of excitement and energy washing off of him.</p><p>“Ready?”</p><p>
  <em> Yup! </em>
</p><p>Ben gave a light knock on Jacen’s door, though the pair was sure Jacen could already sense them through the force. </p><p>A muffled voice came through the door, laced with irritation and annoyance only an older sibling could have.</p><p>“Whatever it is, ask Master Skywalker,” Jacen called, clearly not wanting to deal with them.</p><p>“This isn’t a Master Skywalker question, it’s a <em> you </em> question,” Ben stressed. “Please, Jacen? We’ll be quick. We <em> really </em>need your help.”</p><p><em> And I’m sorry for throwing that branch! I didn’t mean to chuck it that far, </em>Grogu said. Grogu did, in fact, mean to throw it that far. But Jacen didn’t need to know that right this moment. Grogu also proceeded to send Jacen a pleading, innocent look, with his wide black eyes. He knew it wouldn’t be effective against the older padawan, but he went for it anyways. </p><p>There was a pause. Finally, Jacen spoke up. </p><p>“Fine. Come on in, guys.” Grogu’s ears perked up and a smile grew across Ben’s face. Ben waved his hand to open Jacen’s door and the two young students walked in. </p><p>Jacen was listening to music, and Grogu could hear it clearly despite Jacen wearing his headphones. He and Ben sat down on the floor as Jacen hit a button on a small device and removed his headphones, and looked at his visitors expectantly. </p><p>“Well? What is it?”</p><p><em> We have some questions… </em> </p><p>“I gathered as much.”</p><p>
  <em> About dating. </em>
</p><p>Grogu felt Jacen hold in a spark of laughter and amusement.</p><p>“Huh. Not what I expected. Should I ask why?”</p><p>“Nope!” Ben replied cheerily. “That’s why we’re asking you, and not Master Skywalker.”</p><p><em> You don’t care enough to ask questions, </em>Grogu piped in.</p><p>Jacen shrugged. “That’s fair. I couldn’t give a shrew’s ass why you need my help. So, what do you want me to tell you about <em> dating </em>?”</p><p>
  <em> How does it work? How does it happen? </em>
</p><p>“Well...It just happens? Two people meet and they like each other?”</p><p>Grogu tilted his head in confusion.</p><p>“Uh...people who are <em> dating </em> often go on <em> dates </em>? You know, when said people are spending time with just each other. To get to know each other better.”</p><p><em> Ahhh. </em>Grogu was somewhat getting the picture. Ben had slight feelings of realization too. </p><p>“You guys know you’re both too young to date, right?”</p><p>
  <em> Ewwww! </em>
</p><p>Ben stuck his tongue out and made a ‘blehgh’ noise that sounded remarkably like a choking blurgg.</p><p>Jacen snickered. “Okay, just making sure.”</p><p><em> I think we have the intel we need for Phase 2 of Operation Cookies, Grogu. </em>Ben said mentally. </p><p><em> I agree, </em> Grogu replied. Then he sent a message towards Jacen. <em> Thanks, Jacen! </em></p><p>“No problem, Grogu. Now get out of my room.” </p><p>Ben and Grogu obliged immediately. </p><p>As soon as they were sure Jacen couldn’t hear, Ben leaned down to whisper to Grogu.</p><p>“Uncle Luke says Jacen’s going through <em> hormonal changes. </em>That’s why he doesn’t like hanging out with us and Kila and Terro.”</p><p><em> Ahh. I see. </em> Grogu, in fact, did not exactly see. But that was okay. To quote Jacen, he didn’t give a shrew’s ass. Hmm. <em> Shrew’s ass. </em>That was a fun term. Grogu would have to use it more often.</p><p>“Anyways, what were you thinking for Phase 2?”</p><p>
  <em> Well, Jacen said that people who are dating go on dates, right? So… </em>
</p><p>Ben gasped. “We can set up a date for Uncle Luke and Mr. Mando!”</p><p>
  <em> That’s what I was thinking! If a date is time by themselves… </em>
</p><p>“We need to figure out how to get Uncle Luke and Mr. Mando alone.”</p><p>
  <em> Exactly! We’re awesome at this, Ben. </em>
</p><p>“I know, right? So what should...” Ben’s voice trailed off as he sent waves of alert and panic towards Grogu. Grogu felt the bright presence of their Master, and sent similar waves of panic back.</p><p>
  <em> Talk more about it out tomorrow? </em>
</p><p>“Talk more about it out tomorrow.”</p><p>And with that, the two padawans raced back to their rooms, ready to go to sleep. </p><p>…</p><p>
  <em> The density of the force. The familiar cream-colored and patterned walls. The high ceiling, the large windows. Sun was shining through, warming up his skin. Grogu was back on Coruscant, in the Jedi Temple. He looked around, wondering if the Clone Wars had started or not. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu reached out, and his question was instantly answered by the sheer amount of pain, death and stress every temple resident carried with them. The Clone Wars were in full force, blaster shots and screams of agony echoing in the minds of all the Jedi Generals and Commanders in the temple halls. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu let out a squeal of delight when he saw the familiar expressive Wookie in the Temple halls. Gungi had been away for nearly two weeks, far longer than expected for a trip to Ilum along with Katooni, Ganodi, Zatt, Byph, and Petro. Gungi let out a happy roar when he spotted Grogu, and ran over to Grogu’s transport pad and engulfed the tiny alien in a big hug. Grogu remembered this memory fondly, and was happy it was replaying in his dreams. It was a small gem in the darkness that was the Clone Wars. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu and Gungi had become good friends while training, both of them bonding over the fact that it was difficult for them to communicate. They both normally defaulted to communicating with others mentally, through the force, since Grogu hadn’t developed speech patterns yet and very few could speak Shyriiwook. </em>
</p><p>I overheard a few padawans talking about what happened on the mission! I can’t believe you got attacked by pirates! Real, live, pirates!<em> Grogu said to Gungi. </em></p><p>
  <em> Gungi growed a string of words in response.  </em>
</p><p>It was terrifying! We were chased by pirates, and then Katooni made us join a circus, we had to rescue Padawan Tano, and then we were chased by pirates again, and then the Separatists arrived, and then Padawan Tano <em> fought General Grievous! </em></p><p>That sounds INSANE, <em> Grogu replied. Grogu had been wanting his own lightsaber for so long. His force abilities had placed him in more advanced classes for his age, but he still was not permitted to take the sacred pilgrimage all his other classmates had taken to Ilum. </em></p><p>
  <em> A tiny voice in the back of his head told him he would never get to visit Ilum. He wasn’t going to be able to take part in the prestigious ritual that everyone around him has taken. Maybe he wouldn’t pass the tests needed to take the trip. Or maybe some disaster would happen, like Gungi’s pirate adventure, and Grogu wouldn’t make it back to the Temple alive. Maybe he would simply never be good enough. He would lose everything he was working towards. He’d lose all his friends. But Grogu always forced himself to ignore that voice of doubt. Doubt was a subcategory of fear, and fear was the path to the dark side, as Master Yoda always said. </em>
</p><p>Hey, Grogu, do you wanna see my lightsaber? <em> Gungi asked. Grogu nodded back enthusiastically as Gungi removed a smooth, wooden hilt from his belt. He took several steps back from Grogu, and activated the lightsaber. A shimmering beam of green light erupted from the hilt, and Grogu could feel Gungi’s strong connection with his weapon. </em></p><p>It’s incredible, Gungi,<em> Grogu oogled. The blade buzzed with power and stewardship. It was the true weapon of a Jedi Knight, and he knew it belonged in Gungi’s hands. Grogu turned to the side, and noticed that it had suddenly become dark. There were no stars out, thanks to the planet’s gas clouded atmosphere, but Grogu could still feel the stars out. He turned back to Gungi, and startled to see his face soaked with fear. </em></p><p>
  <em> This wasn’t how Grogu remembered it. Grogu remembered holding Gungi’s lightsaber, admiring it, and passing it back as Gungi recounted his adventures. Not this. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu tried to ask Gungi what was wrong, but he couldn’t. All he could do was watch as a blue lightsaber blade was thrust through his friend’s chest. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu turned around and ran. His transport had disappeared. He ran as fast as his legs could take him. He tried to use the force to speed up, but he hadn’t learned how to yet. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He saw the blue blade whirling through Jedi after Jedi, Padawan after Padawan, and Youngling after Youngling. Grogu just kept running.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> All of a sudden, Grogu stopped. His head jolted to his right. On the ground was Kila. She wasn’t moving. A few feet away was Terro. Terro too, was unmoving. On the other side of the room was Jacen. A horrified look was plastered permanently onto his face. He was deathly still, his lightsaber hilt still in his grasp as he lay on the floor. Grogu’s feet rapidly seemed to work again as he continued sprinting down the hall. He didn’t look back. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grogu didn’t stop running until he ran into another familiar face. It was Ben! Ben was alive! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Grogu, what’s wrong?” Ben asked, concerned. Grogu couldn’t make a sound, whether it was out loud or mentally. Grogu wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to know where his dad was. He wanted his dad to hold him safe and tap the button on his wrist that made the bad guys go away.  He wanted Master Skywalker to appear and save the day, like he did on that Imperial ship, and tell Grogu that everything was going to be alright. </em>
</p><p><em> Instead, he watched as a </em> green <em> lightsaber, not blue, was raised above Ben with malice, fear, and intent to kill… </em></p><p>
  <em> … </em>
</p><p>Grogu shot up from his sleeping mat in a cold, heavy sweat. He could still see the lightsaber blades dancing in his eyes. The echoing of screams, and the never-ending well of darkness. Grogu couldn’t help it. He let out a loud wail as his dad woke up beside him immediately. He didn’t want to wake up Buir. He knew his dad wasn’t always the best at taking care of himself, and he needed his sleep. But Grogu really didn’t think he could be alone with his thoughts at the moment. The memories were too painful, too much for Grogu to handle all at once. </p><p>“Kid, what’s wrong?! Are you ok? Are you hurt?” </p><p>Grogu simply whimpered. Buir could never really understand. He wondered what he would think if he knew that Grogu left everyone behind to survive. He wondered if his dad would have still taken him, still given him a family. </p><p><em> Doubt was a subcategory of fear, and fear was the path to the dark side, </em> Grogu thought, remembering Master Yoda’s lessons. <em> Fear leads to hate, hate leads to anger, and anger leads to suffering. </em></p><p><em> Feel the force flow through you. Take a deep breath in and out, </em> Grogu thought, remembering Master Skywalker’s meditation sessions. <em> Clear your mind. I am one with the force, and the force is with me. </em></p><p>Grogu had to clear his mind. And clearing his mind meant letting go of his fears. And he couldn’t let go of his fears without acknowledging them first.</p><p>
  <em> I am one with the force. And the force is... </em>
</p><p>Grogu felt tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn’t stop it. He allowed himself to cry as Buir scooped him up and held him close to his chestplate. A blanket was wrapped around him, and he felt the warmth of his dad’s face as he did his best to comfort Grogu.</p><p>“Shh...shh...it’s okay, ad’ika. I’m right here. It’s okay…” </p><p>Grogu was glad Buir felt more comfortable removing his helmet in private. Grogu was able to cling onto that happy thought for a second, but his mind kept crashing back to the darkness, focusing on his nightmare. It was so vivid. So real. And just like before, there was nothing Grogu could do to stop it.</p><p>Grogu’s door swiftly whirred open as Master Skywalker entered the room, and Grogu could feel the panic radiating from him. He didn’t really want to talk to Master Skywalker right now, or anyone else for that matter. He just wanted to cry it out. Grogu buried himself in the blanket against his dad as he felt the warm presence of Master Skywalker fill the room. He could barely hear what the two adults were saying as the tears rolled down his face.</p><p>“Mando, is everything okay? I felt a disturbance in the force—” Master Skywalker quickly covered his eyes once he noticed Buir was helmetless. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean—”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter now, just tell me what’s going on,” he heard his dad snap. Grogu felt Master Skywalker nod and sit himself down next to the pair.</p><p>“I don’t know what happened. I just…” His dad’s voice trailed off as he hugged Grogu closer. “I just want him to be okay.” Grogu pretended not to hear the crack in Buir’s voice.</p><p>“I know,” Master Skywalker said in a soothing tone. “Was it a bad dream, little one? A vision, or a memory?”</p><p>
  <em> I guess. I don’t want to talk about it.  </em>
</p><p>“That’s okay. Can you tell me later?”</p><p>Grogu didn’t answer him. He didn’t want to scare Master Skywalker and make him think the others were in danger. So instead, Grogu asked a question.</p><p>
  <em> Are Ben, Terro, Kila, and Jacen okay? </em>
</p><p>“Your friends are fine, Grogu. They’re all getting a good night’s rest. We’re safe here.”</p><p>Grogu nodded slightly and uncurled his face from Buir’s warm, rough cloak.</p><p>“He had a nightmare,” Master Skywalker spoke to Buir. “He just needs some time to calm down.”</p><p>Grogu let out a sniffle.</p><p>“Ad’ika…” his dad said. “I’m right here, okay? And Luke’s here too.” As Master Skywalker’s name was mentioned, the Jedi scooted closer to them and placed a gentle hand on Grogu’s head. Grogu instantly felt flooded with light and a feeling of focus, calm, and peace. </p><p>“It’s gonna be okay, Grogu. We’re right here.” </p><p><em> I am one with the force, and the force is with me, </em>he heard Master Skywalker say. </p><p><em> I am one with the force, and the force is with me, </em>Grogu repeated, allowing himself to relax his limbs and take a deep breath.</p><p>Grogu fell back asleep in Buir’s arms. He didn’t even notice that Master Skywalker had fallen asleep with them as well, both force users leaning against Grogu’s dad as dusk slowly turned to dawn on Yavin 4.</p><p>…</p><p>Grogu blinked his eyes as his vision slowly focused. Light shone through the window in his room, and Grogu could feel the energy of the flora and fauna across Yavin 4 bask in the morning sunlight. He was also very pleased to see his dad’s face looking down at him with warm eyes. </p><p>“Good morning, ad’ika.” Grogu missed waking up to the familiar presence of his dad. He was calm. He was safe. But he still held the memories of the night before.</p><p><em> I’m sorry about last night, Buir. </em>“Emah. Bahwah.”</p><p>“It’s all okay, Grogu. There’s nothing to be upset about.”</p><p><em> The bad dreams got really really scary. I didn’t want to bother you. </em>“Eeyah. Bwah.”</p><p>“Are you hungry? Is that it?”</p><p><em> Well, of course I’m hungry too, Buir. </em>“Patoo.”</p><p>His dad smiled softly. “I’m glad to hear it. I brought you a treat, but I forgot to give it to you yesterday. Would you like to have it at breakfast?</p><p><em> Of course I would! </em>“Mah!”</p><p>Grogu felt something shifting to his right, and him and his dad snapped their heads in their direction. Master Skywalker let out a yawn as stretched his arms, waking up from his sleeping spot against Buir. </p><p>His dad still had that soft smile that Grogu rarely got to see plastered on his face and gave Grogu another hug. “Hey, wanna say good morning to your teacher, ad’ika?”</p><p>Grogu had a mischievous idea as Buir passed him over.</p><p><em> Good morning, Master! </em>“EEE!” Grogu landed on Master Skywalker’s chest with a loud squeal and whacked Skywalker’s eyes with his clawed hands.</p><p>“Well good morning to you too, Grogu!” Master Skywalker responded groggily, swatting away Grogu’s hands. Grogu could tell that Skywalker didn’t mind, based off of the warm aura of amusement surrounding him. “How are you feeling?”</p><p>
  <em> I’m feeling much better, Master. I’m sorry for waking up you and Buir.  </em>
</p><p>“Grogu, you never have to apologize about bothering us,” Master Skywalker replied, brushing Grogu’s head. “We all need extra hugs sometimes.”</p><p>“Is that what you were saying earlier?” Buir said. Grogu nodded as a sad look bloomed on his dad’s eyes. But he still had that warm smile across his face as he reached back over to hold Grogu.</p><p>“I’m really glad you’re here, Mando.” Master Skywalker said, watching as Grogu sank back into his dad’s arms. “You seem to have…” There was a pause as Master Skywalker seemed to carefully choose his next words. “You have a very peaceful aura. It’s very strong and focused. It’s nice to hold onto and relax.”</p><p>“Oh.” Buir said, clearly not knowing what to think of the statement. Grogu just sighed.</p><p>“I usually don’t wake up this late, I’m normally up before the sun. I guess it’s just nice sleeping with you.”</p><p>Huh. Grogu wondered why a wave of red-hot sheepishness and embarrassment suddenly erupted from Buir and Master Skywalker. </p><p>“Uh. Thank you.” </p><p>“I’m sorry if that sounded weird—I just... It was interesting. I’ve never felt it before.”</p><p>There was a long silence as his dad and teacher stared at each other. Grogu was shocked, frankly. Maintaining eye contact maskless was not one of Buir’s strong suits. Unfortunately, the silence was starting to get rather awkward. Grogu took it upon himself to break it with another squeal.</p><p>
  <em> Can we go get ready for breakfast now? </em>
</p><p>“Yes! Grogu just said he wants to go get ready to eat,” Skywalker blurted out, faster than expected.</p><p>“Of course, of course. I’ll...uh…”</p><p>“I’ll leave you two. Uh, see you in a bit?”</p><p>“Right.” </p><p>Master Skywalker gave Buir a squeeze on the arm as he got up and briskly walked out of Grogu’s dorm room.</p><p>Buir turned back down to Grogu, his eyebrows raised.</p><p>“What was that?”</p><p>Grogu sighed in exasperation again.</p><p>
  <em> Don’t. Don’t even start. </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. oHOhOHOOOO IS That Romance that I'm trying to write? hMMmMMM this is so much harder than i thot<br/>2. shoutout sam and farmboy in the gc<br/>3. i am so sorry (i am not) for giving grogu a scary nightmare i made sure he got lots of cuddles afterwards :(((</p><p>but thank you guys so much for reading! i cap you not when i say i screech whenever i see a comment. my goal is to continue updating on the every weekend, but sometimes school can be a load of bantha droppings. hope to see you bbs next week &lt;3</p><p>tumblr: double-ii<br/>hellish yet flawless Spotify playlist i listen to while writing grogu's pov: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7gsF1M4tNJUPxwjap8Bi4r?si=tDANjJIhQSC5Ge_LbMMGJg</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Of Hiding and Seeking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“What is it, ad’ika?” Buir asked. Grogu placed a gentle hand on his dad’s helmet and looked up at him with wide bright eyes and a pleading expression plastered on his face. Grogu let out a pitiful whimper for good measure. As expected, he felt his dad’s resolve at sitting out during Hide and Seek swifty crumble. “I...I guess I can play a round or two with your friends, Grogu. Would that make you feel better?” </p><p>Grogu’s ears perked up as he released a string of happy squeals and gleefully smacked Buir’s helmet.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH i am sO SO SO sorry for not updating in two whole chunky ass weeks. I really wanted to get this chapter out much earlier, but i was having trouble with the direction I wanted to go in. I wrote a lot of different scenes n stuff, but it just was hard to vibe with it, yk? </p><p>and then midterms exist. why? why do midterms exist? just. why?</p><p>but that's aside the point. let's see what the galaxy's greatest Little Shits have in store next........</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Grogu, be careful, I don’t want you to choke on the—Uh. Okay then.”</p><p>Grogu chomped down on the egg and swallowed it, disregarding the unpeeled shell. <em> Mmm</em>. He hadn’t had eggs in a while, and while he preferred soft-shelled eggs, he was just thankful for the treat his dad had brought.</p><p>“Grogu’s a great eater. At his last checkup, the medical droid said that with the way he’s eating. he’s due for a growth spurt anytime soon,” Master Skywalker pointed out.</p><p>“Seriously?”</p><p>“Mhm. There’s a chance he can grow to be a little over half a meter.”</p><p>Buir gave Grogu a pointed look from behind his helmet. “You hear that, kid? You’re growing!”</p><p><em> It’s about damn time! </em>“Eee, bwah!”</p><p>As much as he liked hitching rides on his friends, Grogu wished he could at <em> least </em> reach his dad’s knees. </p><p>The students of Yavin 4 along with Master Skywalker and a now-helmet wearing Buir were eating breakfast in the mess hall, and Grogu could hear the light conversation flow through the air. Grogu was also very happy to see Ben safe and his usual self sitting next to him, which helped push away the fears that entered Grogu’s mind last night. They’d just wrapped up morning meditation, and Master Skywalker had made sure Buir had time to eat by himself while the Grogu and company meditated. Grogu had also reassured Master Skywalker that he was alright from last night’s nightmare, and Master Skywalker had been sure to check up with Grogu during morning meditation. </p><p>As the students finished eating, Terro included this time, Master Skywalker began sharing the day’s plans.</p><p>“It recently occurred to me that we haven’t had a game of Hide and Seek in a while,” Skywalker said, and Grogu couldn’t help but to screech with joy.</p><p><em> HELL YES! </em> “EEYAH!”</p><p>“Hide and Seek?” Buir asked incredulously. “That counts as Jedi training?”</p><p>“Oh, absolutely,” Master Skywalker responded with a smirk. “It’s a very advanced and difficult form of training for the little ones. Not to mention how terribly boring it is. It’s absolutely awful,” he continued, his voice dripping with sarcasm as the students whooped around him. </p><p>Grogu <em> adored </em> Hide and Seek. He remembered playing it on Sorgan with Winta, who would hold him crouched behind a bush. The duo would stifle giggles as the seeker would walk <em> right past them. </em>But Hide and Seek: Sorgan edition had nothing on Hide and Seek: Jedi Training edition. </p><p>Kila tapped Buir’s arm lightly as Buir turned to look at the small togruta. “Hide and seek can get pretty crazy, Mr. Mando,” she said with a serious tone. “I am the reigning champion as seeker. I’ve got 73 wins. That’s exactly 12 more than Master Skywalker.” </p><p>“I see. So if it’s your turn to be the seeker, I should start to panic, huh?” Buir responded.</p><p>Kila tilted her head up and smiled, clearly pleased with the concept of being a better seeker than a Mandalorian bounty hunter and Master Jedi. “Very much, Mr. Mando!” </p><p><em> I am the BEST hider, Buir. I am always the last to be found, and I’ve made Kila lose lots and lots of times, </em>Grogu bragged. Jedi weren’t really supposed to be boastful...but Kila started it. And even Master Skywalker would get competitive in games like this.</p><p>“Grogu was saying he’s the best hider, Mr. Mando,” Ben translated for Grogu. “It’s true. He can fit ANYWHERE!” Ben waved his arms up to emphasize the last word as Grogu gave his dad a cheeky smile. </p><p>“I wouldn’t doubt it. You’ve sneaked into places on the Razor Crest I didn’t even know existed, you little womp rat.” Buir bent down and ticked Grogu’s ear. Grogu giggled and squirmed as he felt a smile on his dad’s face. </p><p>“You know, before Grogu came, <em> I </em>was the best hider,” Terro proclaimed with a hint of childish envy. </p><p>Kila rolled her eyes and gave her younger sibling a push. “No, you weren’t.”</p><p>“Yes I was!” Terro retorted.</p><p>“Was not!”</p><p>“Was so!”</p><p>“Was not!”</p><p>“Was so!”</p><p>“Was—”</p><p>Master Skywalker groaned and gave a ‘what can you do about it?’ shrug towards the rest of the padawans and Buir. “Hide and Seek is really a good training exercise for the students, though.” </p><p>Grogu could practically envision his dad’s confused face as his head cocked to the side. </p><p>“They’re all very familiar with each other’s force signatures and presences. Hide and Seek forces them to mask their signatures, which takes a lot of training and focus. Meanwhile the seeker’s got to locate the hiders blindfolded. Not to mention the fun of hiding and sneaking around.” Master Skywalker explained. </p><p>“Oh.” It didn’t take the force for Grogu to still feel his dad’s confusion. </p><p>
  <em> That stuff doesn’t matter to you, Buir, don’t worry. Just...do what you usually do.  </em>
</p><p>“But wouldn’t we be at an advantage if Mr. Mando’s hiding? We can sense his presence and he can’t mask it,” Jacen quipped. </p><p>“Huh?” Buir said. Grogu patted his dad’s shin in sympathy. </p><p>“I guess Mando’s gonna have to be the seeker then,” Master Skywalker said as he gave Grogu’s dad a nudge. </p><p>“Uh. I wasn’t aware I was playing.”</p><p>“Good thing you’re aware now, then.”</p><p>
  <em> You’ve got this, Buir! I know you can do it. </em>
</p><p>“Grogu says you got this, Mr. Mando. Even though you’ve only been here for a day and can’t feel our force signatures,” Ben said with a cheeky grin. </p><p>“You are an acclaimed bounty hunter, right?”</p><p>“I suppose…”</p><p>“You can’t be worried about finding 5 kids and a glorified babysitter, can you?”</p><p>“Glorified babysitter, huh?”</p><p>Grogu and his friends couldn’t help laughing, and Kila and Terro had stepped away from their argument to hear what was going on as well.</p><p>While Grogu found Master Skywalker’s taunts amusing, he was rather surprised, to be honest. Master Skywalker never egged anyone on. That was the kind of thing Master Organa did before wiping the ground with Master Skywalker in a lightsaber duel for the padawan’s entertainment. </p><p>He had to convince his dad to play, however. It was clearly of the utmost importance at the moment, and Grogu knew exactly how to do it. Grogu whacked his dad’s shin again and raised his hands to indicate he wanted to be picked up, and Buir obliged instantly as Grogu felt himself being lifted off the ground and settled into Buir’s arms. </p><p><em> Don’t worry. I got this, </em>Grogu told his friends and Master Skywalker. </p><p>“What is it, ad’ika?” Buir asked. Grogu placed a gentle hand on his dad’s helmet and looked up at him with wide bright eyes and a pleading expression plastered on his face. Grogu let out a pitiful whimper for good measure. As expected, he felt his dad’s resolve at sitting out during Hide and Seek swifty crumble. “I...I guess I can play a round or two with your friends, Grogu. Would that make you feel better?” </p><p>Grogu’s ears perked up as he released a string of happy squeals and gleefully smacked Buir’s helmet. </p><p>
  <em> Works every time.  </em>
</p><p>Grogu heard Buir let out a small sigh as he placed Grogu back down. </p><p>“So. Any rules I should know about?” Buir asked. Kila raised a blue hand and waved it around wildly. </p><p>“Go for it, Kila. We’ll just be playing indoors,” Master Skywalker said with a nod. Kila grinned as she stood up a little taller and began her speech.</p><p>“No going outside the Temple. No hiding in the ‘freshers. No hiding in our dorm rooms, no hiding in Master Skywalker’s room. Yes on throwing things to distract the seeker. Yes on masking your force signature. Yes on changing your spot when you’re hidden. No getting the droids involved. Yes to counting to 100 before opening your eyes and moving from the corner to try and find us. Yes to the hiders helping the seeker after we’re found. Yes to using our surrounding resources safely as either a seeker or hider.”</p><p>“Our surrounding resources?”</p><p>“Using the force to move stuff. Or in your case...uh...”</p><p>“I have a grappling hook.”</p><p>“You can use it safely, Mr. Mando!” </p><p>Buir turned to Master Skywalker. </p><p>Master Skywalker gave a cheeky, Captain Solo-esqe smile and gestured to the corner. “You heard Kila. Count to a hundred in the corner. Nice and loud.” </p><p>Grogu happily patted his dad’s shin again and could swear Buir mumbled something along the lines of ‘I can’t believe this is my life now’. But his dad did as he was told and stood awkwardly in the corner of the mess hall to count. </p><p>“One. Two.” He sighed. “Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven…”</p><p>The six force users began sprinting away immediately.</p><p>Grogu ran around six feet away from his dad and surveyed his surroundings, trying to think of a place he hadn’t hid before. Buir was smart. And Grogu knew he was very good at finding people. His dad had found a lot of people that <em> really </em>did not want to be found. Grogu assumed his dad would look in the obvious places first—nooks, crannies, and closets, places that his friends could squeeze into. Buir might also not expect someone to hide so close to where he was counting. </p><p>
  <em> I’m gonna hide close to where Buir is counting, then.  </em>
</p><p>The mess hall was mainly open space, with plenty of seating. It was easy to spot someone under the tables, so that was out of the option. Grogu took another look around and his eyes came to rest on the kitchen door attached to the mess hall.</p><p>
  <em> Perfect. </em>
</p><p>Grogu quickly shouted a mental message to Ben.</p><p>
  <em> Ben! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> What? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I need help, where are you? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’m going to the—wait, why do you need to know? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Wait, can you just quickly help me with— </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Nope. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Can you just throw me towards the— </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Nope! </em>
</p><p>Grogu huffed in irritation as he mentally sent Ben waves of annoyance. He didn’t blame Ben, though. Hide and Seek did tend to be an ‘every Jedi for themselves’ activity. It also didn’t help that Grogu hid close to Ben’s location the last time they played Hide and Seek. And that Grogu proceeded to give up Ben’s hiding spot to Kila out of spite that he was found first and not Ben, who definitely had a boring, unreactive hiding spot in comparison to Grogu.</p><p>Grogu climbed onto a chair and felt the force flow through him as he leapt across the seats and tables, making his way to the kitchen door. He opened the door, and closed it. Then opened and closed it again, hoping to throw Buir off if he was able to hear the door opening. He could barely hear his dad counting, but was able to make out that he was somewhere in the fifties. </p><p>Grogu was very pleased to see that not only was he doing well on time, but there were plenty of spaces he could fit in inside the kitchen. The COO droids were nowhere to be found as well. </p><p>Grogu padded around the room, and his attentioned settled on the empty meiloorun cookie jar that the padawans had emptied yesterday. </p><p>He could fit in, right?</p><p>
  <em> Right? </em>
</p><p>Grogu felt a surge in the force as he used it to boost himself up onto the counter. He proceeded to leap on top of the clay jar. Using caution, he carefully shimmied his way in when he was confronted with an issue.</p><p>
  <em> You gotta be kidding me. </em>
</p><p>Grogu fit snugly inside the jar, but he felt his ears flipped up. They were most definitely sticking out of the jar’s opening. </p><p>
  <em> Karking hell. </em>
</p><p>Grogu stopped moving around and focused on his dad’s presence. Perhaps there was time to find another hiding spot. </p><p>“Eighty-six, eighty-seven, eighty-eight…”</p><p>He definitely didn’t have enough time to find a new spot without Buir running into him first. Grogu would have to accept a humiliating defeat. </p><p>“Ninety-eight, ninety-nine...one hundred! Uh...I’m done counting!” he heard his dad shout. </p><p>Grogu then heard his clanky footsteps become louder and louder as he felt Buir approach the kitchen and the door shifted open. </p><p>He felt Buir’s eyes shift to the melioorun jar Grogu had taken residence in, and Grogu heard a modulated chuckle. </p><p>“Grogu.”</p><p>
  <em> Maybe if I don’t say anything, he’ll ignore me.  </em>
</p><p>“I heard the door open, you know. But it was a smart idea to reopen and close it.”</p><p>
  <em> I know. I learned that trick from you. </em>
</p><p>“And your ears are sticking out, you little womp rat.”</p><p><em> Yeah, no shit! </em>“BAH!”</p><p>Grogu felt warm feelings flood over him as Buir laughed again. </p><p>“Need any help getting out of there?”</p><p>Grogu responded with another muffled squeak. He could use the force to repel himself out of the cramped jar, but why waste his energy when Buir was right there?</p><p>“I’m gonna take that as a yes, ad’ika.”</p><p>Grogu felt the jar he had gotten himself squished to be lifted into the air, and a buzz of confusion flowed out from his dad.</p><p>“How the flying kriff did you…”</p><p>
  <em> I can fit into worse. Remember that time you stuffed me in that compartment to fix the Crest’s wiring?  </em>
</p><p>“I’m just gonna flip the jar upside down, okay? You won’t fall, I promise.” </p><p>
  <em> ‘Cause I definitely remember that time. I got electrocuted. It was not very fun—AHH! </em>
</p><p>Grogu himself shift upside down in the jar as his ears continued to slide out. “How does Luke handle all of you adike?”</p><p>
  <em> I wonder the same thing, Buir. I wish I could tell you all the things I’ve eaten, despite Master Skywalker saying no. Ben and I have a list.  </em>
</p><p>“I’m uhh...gonna try shaking this thing? Are you still okay in there?”</p><p><em> I’m gonna have to do this myself, huh? </em>Grogu let out a tiny sigh as he reached out to the force. He felt pressure build around the jar, and took a deep breath as he focused the pressure under his feet. Within seconds, he propelled himself out of the clay meiloorun jar and landed in Buir’s arm.</p><p>“Well, then.” Buir tilted his helmet to the side as he placed down the jar. “Maybe you shouldn’t hide in places you can’t get out of, kid.”</p><p><em> I got out all by myself! What are you talking about? </em>Grogu rolled his eyes as Buir gently placed him on the ground.</p><p><em> I usually get much better hiding spots, Buir, I swear! </em>“Nah bwah, ree!”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. You wanna help me find Luke and your friends?”</p><p><em> Oh, yeah! </em>“Eeyah!”</p><p>…</p><p>“BOO!”</p><p>“Ahh, fu—”</p><p><em> TERRO, WHAT THE FUCK? </em>“AEEEEEEEEH!”</p><p>Buir had jumped back instinctively and his hand moved towards his utility belt, but he switched back to his calm demeanor once the father-son duo realized what was going on.</p><p>“Hi, guys!” Terro said cheerfully, exiting a mess of miscellaneous materials and scraps of paper.</p><p>
  <em> You’ve gotta be kidding me. You hid in the damn disposal chute? </em>
</p><p>Terro had a cheeky look on his face, confirming Grogu’s theory.</p><p>“What was that for, kid?” Buir scolded.</p><p>
  <em> Terro’s just annoying, Buir. </em>
</p><p>“Well, you two were really really very close. And I could feel Grogu locking on to my force signature,” Terro explained with a toothy grin, “So if I was ‘onna be found, might as well surprise you!” </p><p>Buir sighed in exasperation, and Grogu found it fitting that he should sigh as well. </p><p>“Ok then, uh...Terro. Right?”</p><p>Terro nodded vigorously.</p><p>“Don’t do that again, Terro.”</p><p>Terro nodded again in understanding, and Grogu, Buir and Terro were off. </p><p>…</p><p>“You checked the study?”</p><p>
  <em> Ya think? </em>
</p><p>“That’s where we’re standing, right?”</p><p>“The kitchen?”</p><p><em> It’s the first place Buir looked </em>—</p><p>“First place I looked, kid.”</p><p>
  <em> Told’ja so. </em>
</p><p>“The dorms?”</p><p>
  <em> That’s against the rules, Terro. Even though you’ve hid in your own room four times. </em>
</p><p>“I thought your sister said no hiding in the dorms.”</p><p>“My sister says a looooooot of things.”</p><p>“Siblings tend to do that.”</p><p>“Do you have siblings, Mr. Mando?”</p><p>“Sort of.”</p><p>“What do you mean, sort of?”</p><p>
  <em> Can we get moving, for star’s sake?  </em>
</p><p>Grogu paused. Something...changed. It was like a small ripple. A shift in the force. The feeling disappeared in an instant, but one glance at Terro confirmed he felt something, too. The two padawans turned to Buir with eager expressions. </p><p>“Uh. What is it?”</p><p>“Someone broke their force mask on accident! They’re prolly really close by,” Terro explained as Grogu nodded along with them. </p><p><em> Terro, isn’t there a cupboard around the corner? </em> “Eyah. Boo, wah?” Grogu asked.</p><p>“Huh?” Buir said. </p><p>Terro’s eyes widened. “You’re right, Grogu! This way!” </p><p>Terro rounded the corner as Buir followed him, revealing a small cupboard. Terro whacked a release button with unnecessary force to open the cupboard door, revealing a huddled-up Kila. Her force signature immediately erupted the second the cupboard doors opened, once she no longer had to worry about masking it. </p><p>“Hello, Mr. Mando!”</p><p>“Hi, Kila.”</p><p>
  <em> Hi Kila! </em>
</p><p>“HA! Found you!”</p><p>…</p><p>“And then after this we go right.”</p><p>“We’ve been taking a lot of turns, kid...uh, Kila. This temple isn’t too big.”</p><p><em> Don’t worry, Buir. Kila knows where she’s going, </em>Grogu said, snug in his dad’s arms.</p><p>“Most of the time.” Terro interrupted.</p><p>“...Okay.”</p><p>“Here we are!” </p><p>Kila waved her hand to open the door to the laundry room and the three jedi padawans and Buir stepped through the threshold.</p><p>Grogu snickered. <em> An exasperated Mandalorian and three Jedi padawans walked into a laundry room. </em>It reminded Grogu of Marshal Vanth’s bad jokes that often involved puns. He always felt sparks of amusement come from his dad at Marshal Vanth’s jokes, but his dad had never even done so little as to laugh or acknowledge them. </p><p>And now his dad was here, on Yavin 4, playing hide and seek with Grogu’s teacher and friends at their insistence.</p><p><em> The force works in mysterious ways, huh? </em>Grogu thought to no one in particular. </p><p>The second they entered, Kila and Terro went to throwing baskets of laundry around, opening cabinets, and checking behind washing machines. Buir simply followed them around, with Grogu in his arms. At least his dad hadn’t completely given up with his role as the ‘seeker’, as Grogu felt his eyes scan the room for any places someone could hide. He felt a sense of realization click as his dad stared at a cabinet quite a few feet off the ground, with a pile of clothes scattered below it. </p><p><em> Interesting. </em>“Mah.”</p><p>“Huh. Can I put you down, ad’ika?”</p><p><em> Go for it. </em>“Eyah.”</p><p>“I hope that’s a yes.”</p><p>Grogu was placed gently on the ground as his dad turned his attention back to the cabinet.</p><p>
  <em> Use your wrist cable hook thingy. Or I can just open it with the force. Or use your flamethrower. That would be funny. </em>
</p><p>Grogu’s dad raised his right arm and for a split second Grogu thought he was gonna go for the flamethrower idea. However, a whipcord shot out of his vambrace and hooked on to the cabinet. His dad gave a small tug and the cabinet door flung open, and a wild Ben Solo came tumbling out and fell right on the pile of clothes beneath him. </p><p>“Aww, poodoo!” Ben complained, crossing his arms as he sat a mess of fabrics.</p><p>“Okay then,” Buir said. </p><p>“Oh, hi Ben!” Terro chirped.</p><p>“Hi, Ben!” Kila added.</p><p><em> HA! FOUND YA! </em>Grogu yelped. </p><p>Ben stuck his tongue out at Grogu as Buir sighed in an all-too-familiar sense of exasperation.</p><p>…</p><p>“You didn’t even <em> try </em> to find a good hiding place,” Kila complained loudly. The gaggle of students and Grogu’s dad had found Jacen sitting behind a potted plant, typing nonchalantly on his datapad. The plant had looked rather similar to the creature that had once crawled out of Grogu’s lunch on Trask, and it made Grogu a little nervous, but that was aside the point. Kila was right. Jacen didn’t even <em> try.  </em></p><p>“Yeah, but who was the second-to-last person to be found, huh?” Jacen retorted. Kila crossed her arms and with a huff and dramatically rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Jacen continued. </p><p>“It’s just Luke that’s left, right?” Buir asked. </p><p>“Yup!” Terro replied, popping the ‘p’ at the end. </p><p><em> Hang in there, Buir! </em>“Bwah yah!” Grogu proceeded to pat his dad’s shin before walking up ahead with Jacen and Ben.</p><p>“Alright, then.” His dad said. “Anywhere else to check?”</p><p>Grogu was fairly sure that they had searched every nook and cranny of the Jedi Temple at this point. Not to mention that Master Skywalker wasn’t as small as the padawans. There definitely weren't as many places for him to fit in as there was for Grogu. He was honestly a tad bit stumped as to where Skywalker was hiding. </p><p>They soon circled back to the mess hall where Buir had started, and Grogu was instantly smacked with the warm light of Master Skywalker’s presence. </p><p>Seriously? Master Skywalker wouldn’t accidentally unmask his presence, so why could Grogu sense him? Grogu whipped his head around frantically looking for the Jedi Master, but it was then that Jacen tapped him on the head and squatted down to Grogu’s level.</p><p>“I just told Ben, and I’ll tell Kila and Terro too,” Jacen whispered. “Master Skywalker says not to tell your dad.” He then pointed up to the ceiling, and Grogu almost burst into a fit of giggles at the sight.</p><p>Up above the mess hall was Master Skywalker, hanging a short distance away from the group. Grogu could sense him barely clinging on to the grooves of the ceiling, with the force surrounding him and being the only thing keeping him attached. Master Skywalker noticed Grogu’s stare and one of his hands released from the ceiling to give Grogu a small wave. Grogu simply continued staring in awe. It was, without a doubt, one of the greatest things Grogu had ever seen. </p><p>“He looks like a very silly ginntho spider,” Ben observed, nudging Grogu. </p><p>
  <em> A ginntho spider? </em>
</p><p>Ben nodded eagerly. “They’re reeeeeeal nasty. And they can make reeeeeeally strong silk. My dad says one snuck on the Falcon once after he and Uncle Chewie visited Utapau.” </p><p>Grogu wasn’t the biggest fan of spiders. He was, however, a fan of spider eggs. From his limited experience, they were very flavorful and crunchy compared to frog eggs. Frog was still his favorite, though.</p><p>Jacen had moved over to Kila and Terro, and Grogu inferred that he was telling them about Master Skywalker’s predicament as well. But unlike Grogu, Terro wasn’t able to hold in his giggles like Grogu had. Buir’s attention quickly shifted to Terro. Upon realizing Buir was looking at him, Terro immediately put on a very familiar ‘I didn’t do anything!’ face. Jacen shrugged next to Terro, and Kila drew her attention to a very interesting table. </p><p>“What is it?” Buir asked, turning over to Grogu and Ben. Ben forced a blank, innocent look on his face as Grogu simply resorted to blinking up at his dad with his big eyes, the same eyes that convinced Buir to play Hide and Seek in the first place.</p><p>Grogu cursed under his breath as his dad tilted his head to the side. </p><p><em> He knows something’s up, </em>Grogu told his classmates.</p><p><em> Oh, something’s UP, alright, </em>Kila remarked.</p><p><em> Just keep playing dumb, </em>Ben responded.</p><p><em> I don’t get it </em> — <em> OHHHHH. I get it, </em>Terro said.</p><p><em> I should’ve brought my holo-recorder for this, </em> Jacen complained.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>The students’ attention shot from Master Skywalker to Buir, and Grogu knew they could all sense the curiosity stemming from Buir.</p><p>The students stayed silent, of course.</p><p>“No one’s gonna tell?”</p><p>“Where’s the fun in that, Mr. Mando?” Ben asked. </p><p>“Is he somewhere in this room, at least?” Buir said, attempting to gain some sort of idea on where their chaotic teacher was located. </p><p>“Mayyyyyyybe,” Terro responded.</p><p>“Or maybe not,” Kila added in. </p><p>Grogu’s dad sighed as he wandered around the mess hall, moving around tables and chairs as he walked.</p><p>Grogu quickly used the force to reach out to Buir. Grogu knew he wasn’t supposed to reach into the minds of others without their permission, unless it was ‘absolutely necessary for safety or defense’, as said by Master Skywalker. Grogu was just worried that his dad was frustrated with being dragged into their game. Thankfully, Grogu felt nothing of the sort. He was very relieved to feel that Buir was okay, although rather perplexed with the situation as a whole. But Buir was happy that Grogu and his friends were having fun. He also swore he could hear Buir tell himself that ‘Cara’s gonna get a kick out of hearing about this shit’.</p><p>Grogu was jolted out of his focus when Ben poked him in the stomach.</p><p>
  <em> What?! </em>
</p><p>“Look! Mr. Mando’s gonna circle back to us soon, right?” Ben whispered excitedly. </p><p>Grogu watched his dad continue to make his way through the room, and concluded that Ben, somehow, was correct. </p><p>
  <em> Okay, and what about it?  </em>
</p><p>“He’s gonna walk towards us,”</p><p>
  <em> Yeah? </em>
</p><p>“And walk right under Uncle Luke.”</p><p>Grogu snorted. He really expected better from Buir. <em> I don’t even think he’s gonna notice Master Skywalker at this rate.  </em></p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p>Grogu sent a block of confusion in response to Ben.</p><p>“Well, you see...It would be a shame if Uncle Luke were to fall. On Mr. Mando,” Ben pondered.</p><p>
  <em> Wait a minute… </em>
</p><p>“It would be pretty funny, huh? If only we were to use the force.”</p><p>
  <em> Hold up... </em>
</p><p>“Just a bit. To make him fall.”</p><p>
  <em> Ben. </em>
</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>
  <em> You’re brilliant. </em>
</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>It was an interesting sight. Grogu, Ben, Kila, Terro, and Jacen were all standing in a huddle, watching as Grogu’s dad wandered the mess hall, as their Jedi teacher hung from the ceiling. Like a ginntho spider. </p><p>Buir was only a few steps away from being directly under Master Skywalker.</p><p>
  <em> Almost there… </em>
</p><p>“Just move forward a little bit, Mr. Mando…”</p><p>Ben put one hand on Grogu’s tiny shoulder, and reached his other hand out towards the ceiling. Grogu lifted his hand up as well and reached out to the force. He felt the pressure of the force surrounding Master Skywalker, keeping him attached to the ceiling. He felt the presence of Ben’s connection to the force next to him. He felt a subtle spark of panic from Master Skywalker, who probably had a feeling through the force that Grogu and Ben were about to do something that was ‘not very Jedi-like’. He also felt that Jacen was <em> really </em>going to regret not bringing his holo-recorder for this.</p><p>Buir took a few steps forward, eyeing the cluster of padawans suspiciously. </p><p>
  <em> Perfect. Ready? </em>
</p><p>“Ready,” Ben whispered back. “Three.” </p><p>
  <em> Two… </em>
</p><p>“One!”</p><p>Grogu reached out to the force, feeling it flow with him and Ben in sync. He took a deep breath, envisioning the absolutely <em> hilarious </em> concept of his master falling on his dad. He opened his eyes as he felt the force respond in turn. </p><p>“Wha—WATCH OUT!” Master Skywalker yelped.</p><p>“Huh?” Buir’s attention immediately snapped up to where Skywalker was.</p><p>But it was too late. Master Skywalker’s warning was in vain. In a split second, Grogu gave a final push in the force and Master Skywalker’s grip on the ceiling grooves shattered just as Grogu sensed Ben using the force to speed up the gravity surrounding their teacher.</p><p>A loud <em> THUD </em>sounded as Master Skywalker landed on top of Buir, who in turn was knocked over. </p><p>The young padawans of Yavin 4’s Jedi Temple were instantly in <em> hysterics </em> . Grogu personally was rolling on the floor <em> wheezing. </em> Ben was holding his stomach, doubling over with howls of laughter and delight at his and Grogu’s success. Terro was hiccup-laughing, and Kila had burst into a fit of giggles. Even Jacen, <em> Jacen </em> —was <em> losing </em> it. He was attempting to cover his mouth to mask his laughter, but his amusement was undeniable. </p><p>Grogu felt like he was on top of the moon. The high energy and pure joy and amusement was simply infectious, and Grogu couldn’t get enough. It flowed through each and every one of his friends, and filled Grogu up with happy, carefree feelings. </p><p>“Master Sky—” Jacen tried to gather himself, but failed as he let out a few more snickers. “Master Skywalker, Mr. Mando, are you guys okay?” </p><p>Grogu was half watching and half continuing to roll on the floor with glee as Master Skywalker sprung up from the collapsed Mandalorian. Grogu also felt <em> enormous </em> waves of embarrassment and nervousness roll off of the two adults, though said emotions had been nearly drowned out with the pure glee coming from the spectating padawans. </p><p>“I—I’m so sorry, I—” </p><p>“It’s—I’m fine. I got it—”</p><p>“No, seriously, let me help you up—</p><p>“No worries, I’m good. I’ve taken worse hits.” </p><p>“I am SO sorry, I swear I didn’t mean for—I’m—this is just—”</p><p>“It’s fine.”</p><p>“Okay, okay. Are you sure you’re okay? I—”</p><p>The comedy of the situation had started to die down for Grogu as he watched Master Skywalker devolve into a flustered mess. It didn’t take a force user to be able to read the pure state of <em> embarrassment </em>that both Buir and Master Skywalker were in. Master Skywalker’s face was visibly pink, and Grogu had a feeling his dad was in a similar state underneath his helmet. </p><p>
  <em> Ben. </em>
</p><p>Ben paused from his laugh attack once he received Grogu’s mental message. “What—<em> pffffft </em>—what is it?”</p><p>
  <em> They’re hopeless.  </em>
</p><p>Grogu felt Ben’s attention shift to their respective parental figures, and they watched as Grogu’s dad stood up and brushed non-existent debris off his armor. Master Skywalker had his face part-way buried in his hands, a familiar motion that Master Organa used whenever Captain Solo would say something that was ‘nerf-brained’. </p><p>“Oh no…”</p><p>
  <em> What is it, Ben? </em>
</p><p>“I think...I think I have a bad feeling about this. Just…ugh...reach out with the force. Just a little bit.”</p><p><em> I don’t even need to reach out. Never in my LIFE have I felt so much… </em> Grogu winced. <em> Just...eek. Buir just...doesn’t know what to do </em>—</p><p>“Master Skywalker feels reeeeally awkward. And concerned. And embarrassed. And just…” Ben decided sending a distressed facial expression in Grogu’s direction would be ideal to finish off his point. </p><p>So much...conflict. Not negative conflict, necessarily, but still just...conflict. Confusion. A general chaotic sense of...panic? There were still all those warm, cheery, positive feelings present. But so much <em> awkwardness </em>had been piled on top it made Grogu physically cringe.</p><p>Grogu decided that the best course of action was to smack a tiny palm to his forehead in exasperation.</p><p>It was then that a rapid beeping sounded from a comm on Master Skywalker’s belt, causing him to nearly jump in surprise. </p><p>“Ah, I uhh...I gotta take a call right now…” Master Skywalker stuttered out. “I...uhh…”</p><p>“Um. I probably have to take some calls too, now that I think about it…” Buir started.</p><p>“It’s free time, right?” Jacen offered, clearly sensing the tense environment.</p><p>“Yes! It’s free time,” Master Skywalker said, seeming to finally get a hold of himself. “We’ll do more work with katas outside near the big tree in half an hour, okay?” </p><p>The students let out a chorus of replies, and Terro added in an obnoxious snort of amusement. </p><p>Grogu over at Ben.</p><p>Ben looked back at Grogu.</p><p>
  <em> Operation Cookies meeting? </em>
</p><p>“Operation Cookies meeting.”</p><p>…</p><p>Grogu was in his usual spot on Ben’s shoulders as the pair booked it down the dormitory halls. The second they entered Ben’s room and shut the door, Ben dramatically flung his arms into the air as Grogu jumped down.</p><p>“HOLY STARS!”</p><p>
  <em> HOLY SHIT! </em>
</p><p>“That was the BEST thing in the ENTIRE galaxy.”</p><p>
  <em> I know, right? </em>
</p><p>“But also the WORST thing in the ENTIRE galaxy.”</p><p>
  <em> Yup. </em>
</p><p>“What the heck—”</p><p><em> What the kriff </em>—</p><p>“Darn it.”</p><p>
  <em> Darn it? Come on, GET CREATIVE! </em>
</p><p>Ben paused for a moment, and looked around, expecting someone to appear out of thin air.</p><p><em> No one’s gonna get you in trouble, Ben. </em>Grogu put his hands in the air as if to say ‘I’m no snitch’.</p><p>His friend still looked skeptical, but Grogu could tell he was itching to let it out.</p><p><em> Dewit! </em>Grogu ordered.</p><p>“KARKING HELL!” Ben screamed with enthusiasm.</p><p><em> THERE YOU GO! </em>Grogu squealed in delight at his friend’s new creativity in language.</p><p>Ben’s excitement at cursing was swifty replaced with a blank look of realization. “I just said a bad word, Grogu. Technically, it was <em> two </em> bad words. Two <em> really </em>bad words.”</p><p>
  <em> It felt good, didn’t it? </em>
</p><p>“It felt <em> awesome. </em>”</p><p>
  <em> You just gotta let it out sometimes, you know? </em>
</p><p>“Mhm. I get it now. I can’t believe your dad taught you so many not-nice words,” Ben marveled.</p><p><em> Actually, most of the not-nice words I learned are from Auntie Cara, </em> Grogu explained. <em> She says a LOT of not nice words. I don’t think she knows that I know so many of them. </em></p><p>“Woah...I wanna meet Auntie Cara.”</p><p>
  <em> She’s super super cool! I hope I can see her again sometime, after we deal with… </em>
</p><p>Ben interrupted Grogu with a loud groan as he flopped, belly first, into a nearby beanbag. </p><p>“Grogu.” Ben’s voice was severely muffled by the beanbag.</p><p><em> I know. We messed up </em>—</p><p>“—up. Big time.” </p><p><em> The mission is </em>—</p><p>“OPERATION COOKIES IS COMPROMISED!” Ben wailed into the beanbag. “What are we going to do?”</p><p>Grogu reached a hand up to rub his forehead in both exasperation and contemplation. He had seen Grandpa Greef do a similar action when he was concerned about a situation, so Grogu figured doing the same would help.</p><p>
  <em> I think that…hmm... </em>
</p><p>“What is it now?” Ben said in a dead tone, sounding deflated.</p><p>An idea had popped into Grogu’s head. And it was a <em> good </em>idea.</p><p><em> They need to have a Talking Time, </em>Grogu announced.</p><p>Ben slightly raised his head up from its cushion. “Go on.” </p><p>Talking Time was something that every padawan was familiar with. Whenever someone was stressed or upset, they’d be sent to the meditation room for Talking Time. The mediation room was soundproof, adding to its peaceful aura. Talking Time was a designated time for students to talk about their negative feelings and work through them, a time for students to ‘recenter’ themselves. Grogu had Talking Time often with Master Skywalker whenever he was extra worried about Buir, or had especially bad dreams. </p><p>But Talking Time wasn’t just for when students were distressed. </p><p>It was also a nice way of saying students were in trouble, and had to have a talk about why their actions were ‘disruptive’. Or ‘distracting’. Or ‘not the wisest decision’. Or ‘not appropriate during morning meditation’. Or ‘immature’ and ‘I expect more from you’. The reason varied from time to time. As of late, Ben and Grogu held the record for the most Talking Times. Master Skywalker had been very disappointed with them when they went frog-catching during free time without telling anyone. Grogu had also been quite disappointed about the whole ordeal; he had discovered that the very many red-striped frogs he had caught tasted <em> disgusting. </em>They tasted all bitter and not at all squishy. He had never touched a red-striped frog since. But that was aside the point.</p><p>
  <em> A Talking Time! Obviously, Master Skywalker and Buir are acting extra weird.  </em>
</p><p>“Obviously,” Ben scoffed.</p><p><em> So they need to ‘digest their feelings’, </em> Grogu said. <em> You know? </em></p><p>Ben sat up in the beanbag, and Grogu knew he had his attention. “I think it’s ‘dissect’.”</p><p>
  <em> Whatever. They need to ‘dissect their feelings’, then. Talking Times always help with that, right? </em>
</p><p>Ben nodded slowly, his face lighting up as he spoke. “They <em> do </em> need to dissect their feelings. And figure things out. And ‘recenter’ themselves. And that’s <em> exactly </em>what Talking Time is for!” </p><p>Grogu clapped his hands together in excitement. </p><p><em> See? It’s PERFECT. Operation Cookies </em>—</p><p>“—has been saved!” Ben finished, sitting up a little straighter. A look of determination crossed his face. “Now, onto Phase...uh…”</p><p>
  <em> Phase 3? Or 4?  </em>
</p><p>“You know what? We don’t need a phase number. I have a good feeling about this,” Ben said with a cheeky grin. “So, how are we gonna do this?”</p><p><em> Uhh...hmm... </em> </p><p>This was the hard part for Ben and Grogu—actually finding a way to execute their plans. </p><p>“I mean, I can ask Uncle Luke for help with a vision or something,” Ben thought aloud. “And say that I want to have Talking Time. And then you just gotta get your dad. Keep the plan...uh...simple.” Ben cringed the second the last word left his mouth. Grogu had gathered his best friend was a big fan of large, elaborate plans. It was how things were like in holo-films, after all. However, Grogu liked Ben’s plan. It involved the least amount of work on his part, after all.</p><p>
  <em> Okay. When should we execute Phase...er...when do we execute Plan Talking Time? </em>
</p><p>“First off, I like ‘Plan Talking Time’. Second, I was thinking after we get ready for bed? That way, Uncle Luke and Mr. Mando will have plenty of time.”</p><p><em> But...what if they don’t talk? What if the plan doesn’t work? What if… </em>Grogu sighed. He didn’t like doubtful thoughts, and yet they continued to pop up anyways. </p><p>Ben pondered Grogu’s question for a moment, and then responded. “We can lock the door! Then they <em> have </em>to have Talking Time!” </p><p><em> But how do we lock the door? </em> Only Master Skywalker had the codes to lock the doors in the Jedi Temple, in case of emergencies. <em> It’s not like we can just ask him for the codes. </em></p><p>“We’ll find another way to lock the doors,” Ben replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.</p><p>Grogu tilted his head to the side. <em> Huh? </em></p><p>“Jam ‘em. Fry the lock. Or scramble it.”</p><p>
  <em> Ahhhhh. I see.  </em>
</p><p>Grogu did not completely see, but that was okay.</p><p>“We can borrow a scrambler from Jacen! I’m pretty sure he has one,” Ben continued.</p><p>Grogu nodded in vague agreement. He wasn’t the most educated when it came to mechanics. Master Skywalker had taught mechanic lessons before, and Grogu wasn’t a huge fan of them. After he had gotten shocked trying to help Buir fix wiring in the Razor Crest, mechanical work wasn’t something of interest. But Grogu knew it was one of Ben’s favorite hobbies, recalling the many times Grogu had listened to Ben’s long-winded stories of how he fixed something or other in Captain Solo’s ship. So if Ben said Jacen’s scrambler would work, then Jacen’s scrambler would work.</p><p>
  <em> Alrighty. I’ll ask Jacen for the scrambler later, and I’ll be sure to bring it to the meditation room. </em>
</p><p>“Perfect. So after everyone is ready to sleep, I’ll go to Talking Time with Uncle Luke.”</p><p>
  <em> And then I’ll make an excuse to go to the mediation room, and bring Buir along with me. </em>
</p><p>“And you’ll bring the scrambler.”</p><p>
  <em> And I’ll bring Jacen’s scrambler. </em>
</p><p>“Then we leave Mr. Mando and Uncle Luke in the room—”</p><p><em> Use the scrambler to mess up the lock </em>—</p><p>“And...ta-da! Plan Talking Time will be completed!”</p><p>Grogu wiggled around in excitement. </p><p><em> We got this, Ben. Operation Cookies will succeed. I know it, </em>Grogu said as he looked up at Ben with a smile.</p><p>“You’re right, Grogu,” Ben stated, with his signature confidence. “We got this.”</p><p>…</p><p>
  <em> And then Form V is called Djem So. And if you hold your sabers backwards like Nice Lady Ahsoka did, it’s called Shien! It’s really good for strong parries and blocks, and working off of those blocks and parries to counterattack. Form VI is called Niman. It’s like...it’s weird to explain. Niman focuses on changing throughout the duel, increasing your strength as you go on. Apparently it’s not too common amongst Jedi. </em>
</p><p>“That’s great, ad’ika, you’re learning so much,” Buir said, gently rubbing Grogu’s ears. Grogu could feel the light of the stars through the window, and fought back a yawn. It had been a <em> day. </em>And even now, when he was huddled in his sleeping mat with his helmetless Buir, it wasn’t over yet. Master Skywalker was doing room checks, and Grogu could feel his light, warm presence grow closer to Grogu’s room.</p><p>A short knock sounded at the door, alerting Grogu and Buir.  </p><p>“Come in,” Buir said. The door shifted open to reveal Master Skywalker. </p><p>“Uh...Hi.” </p><p>
  <em> Hi, Master Skywalker! </em>
</p><p>Master Skywalker had a sheepish smile on his face, and his dad’s stoic tendencies definitely weren’t helping to lighten the mood. Oh well. It was a good thing that Ben and Grogu had planned the Talking Time. </p><p>“Everything all good here?” Skywalker asked. </p><p><em> All good, Master. </em>“Bwah!”</p><p>“Glad to hear it, little one.” Grogu was very pleased to feel the tension fade a way a tad bit. It was better than nothing. “Ahh...uh...sleep well, and please let me know if you need anything!” Master Skywalker finished. He swifty raised his hand to close the door and exit before Buir or Grogu could say anything else.</p><p>
  <em> I think Auntie Cara is right, Buir. </em>
</p><p>“Huh? What is it?”</p><p>
  <em> Men are dense slugs with no brains, Buir. </em>
</p><p>“Okay, kid.”</p><p>Grogu rolled his eyes and flopped down on his sleeping mat with his dad curled up next to him. He wasn’t going to sleep, of course. </p><p>Grogu reached out with the force and located the familiar force signatures of Ben and Master Skywalker and heard flashes of voices in return.</p><p>“I know it’s bedtime, Uncle, but…”</p><p>“Yeah, visions can be tricky, Ben. But are you sure it can’t wait until morning? It's getting late...”</p><p>Gentle footsteps made their way down the dorm halls. Grogu counted to 100 for good measure, and then threw away his blanket and reached under his pillow, pulling out a small device that happened to be a borrowed scrambler. Next, he let out a squeak in an attempt to get Buir’s attention.</p><p>“Wha...what is it? Do you need to use the ‘fresher? Did you forget to brush your teeth?” His dad asked.</p><p>Grogu paused, and then nodded. </p><p>“Uhh...that’s a yes?”</p><p>Grogu nodded again.</p><p>“The ‘fresher or brushing your teeth?”</p><p>Grogu smiled at his poor dad’s cluelessness. He then stood up from his sleeping pad and raised his hand to open the door. </p><p>“Uhh...okay.”</p><p>Grogu could feel his dad following behind him as he made his way to the mediation room, clutching the small silver scrambler as he walked.</p><p>“Grogu, I don't think you’re going the right way.”</p><p><em> Oh, I know where I’m going, Buir. </em>“Bwah!”</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t think so. You should be sleeping.”</p><p><em> And you should be in Talking Time. </em>“Eeyah, mah.”</p><p>“Is that attitude I hear, ad’ika?”</p><p><em> ….Maybe. </em>“...Patoo.”</p><p>Grogu heard his dad chuckle. “Okay Grogu, let’s head back to your room.” Grogu felt Buir crouch down to pick Grogu up, and Grogu did the only reasonable thing he could do. </p><p><em> Oh yeah? Try it! </em> “EEEEEEEK!” </p><p>Grogu reached out to the force around him and felt it boost his speed. He began tearing through the temple halls, and heard the clunky footsteps of his dad speed up as well.</p><p>“GROGU! Ad’ika, get back here! Dank farrick—”</p><p>It wasn’t long before Grogu reached the mediation room. He had made sure to mask his force signature ahead of time, so Master Skywalker wouldn’t notice him. Grogu then waited patiently for his dad to catch up before opening the door.</p><p><em> We’re here! </em>“Eeyah!”</p><p>“Grogu, what has gotten into you?”</p><p>Grogu didn’t waste any time raising his hand to open the door of the soundproof meditation room. As expected, Master Skywalker and Ben were seated, and Skywalker was clearly shocked with Grogu’s arrival. Ben, however, looked ready to cackle with glee. Grogu waddled into the room, waving his hands and blabbering nothing in particular.</p><p>“Grogu! What are you doing here?” Master Skywalker questioned.</p><p>Grogu felt a surge of panic behind him, coming from Buir as he ran into the mediation room after Grogu.</p><p>
  <em> Perfect. </em>
</p><p>“I’m so sorry Luke, I don’t know what’s gotten into him. He just took off sprinting, and I—<em> oomf </em>—” Grogu really hoped his dad would forgive him for force-shoving him forwards. It was necessary to get him away from the door. </p><p>“You have the scrambler, Grogu?” Ben asked.</p><p>
  <em> Yup! </em>
</p><p>“The <em> what? </em>” Skywalker interjected.</p><p>“Thank you, Uncle!”</p><p>“Hey! Hold on, Ben, what’s going on?! What are you—”</p><p>Grogu and Ben took that as their cue to leave. Grogu reached out to the force and felt himself shoot off of the ground and out the door of the meditation room. Ben soared out after, and Grogu instantly raised his hand to close the door and toss the scrambler to Ben.</p><p><em> Here, catch! </em>Grogu yelped.</p><p>“Thanks, Grogu! Hold the door!” Ben shot back.</p><p>Grogu could practically <em> hear </em> the beginnings of another one of Master Skywalker's lectures. But thankfully, his ears were spared thanks to the mediation room’s soundproof design. Grogu proceeded to shoot his hands out, using the force to combat Master Skywalker and Buir’s attempts to open the door. </p><p>
  <em> Hurry up! </em>
</p><p>“I’m TRYING!” </p><p>To be fair, Ben <em> was </em>clearly trying. His fingers were moving rapidly over the scrambler, and he held it up to the door’s controls. Grogu heard a short, ear-splitting buzz followed by a few beeps. </p><p>
  <em> Are you done?! </em>
</p><p>“Yup! All good, Grogu.”</p><p>Grogu let out a sigh of release as he let his arms fall to his side. He was quickly lifted off the ground by Ben, however.</p><p>“We did it! We did it!” he squealed. Grogu smiled and let out happy whoops as well.</p><p>
  <em> Mission? Success!  </em>
</p><p>“Oh, yeah!” </p><p>Ben turned back towards the lock-scrambled door and grinned in satisfaction. “They are going to have a great Talking Time,” he proclaimed.</p><p><em> Absolutely. And it’s all thanks to us, </em>Grogu added.</p><p>“Uh huh! Back to the dorms?”</p><p>
  <em> Back to the dorms! </em>
</p><p>And with that, Grogu sprung onto Ben’s shoulders and the duo made their way back to the dormitories, ready to turn in for the night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you guys SOOOOO much for all of the kind comments, they make my day fr. I smile like an idiot whenever I'm reading them. I'm hoping to get the next chapter out in the next week or two, but yk. shit happens. </p><p>however, I may or may not post lil miscellaneous deleted scenes that i vibed with but didn't feel like they worked within the story atm :)) maybe it's a flashback to grogu's first day :)) or leia and luke antics :)) hmmm so many options :))))))</p><p>but seriously, thank you so incredibly much for reading. i appreciate all of you bbs so much. sending all the love &lt;3333</p><p>tumblr: double-ii<br/>grogu's playlist of bops: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7gsF1M4tNJUPxwjap8Bi4r?si=uTfo3vr8T2ay2Hr1gnZNjA</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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